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Useful Temperate Plants

Elodea canadensis

Michx.

Hydrocharitaceae

+ Synonyms

Anacharis alsinastrum Bab. ex Planch.

Anacharis canadensis (Michx.) Planch.

Anacharis linearis (Rydb.) Vict.

Anacharis occidentalis (Pursh) Vict.

Anacharis planchonii (Casp.) M.Peck

Anacharis pomeranica Peterm.

Apalanthe schweinitzii Planch.

Elodea brandegeeae H.St.John

Elodea gigantea J.K.Santos

Elodea ioensis Wylie

Elodea latifolia Casp.

Elodea linearis (Rydb.) H.St.John

Elodea oblongifolia Michx. ex Casp.

Elodea occidentalis (Pursh) H.St.John

Elodea planchonii Casp.

Elodea schweinitzii (Planch.) Casp.

Hydora canadensis (Michx.) Besser

Philotria canadensis (Michx.) Britton

Philotria iowensis Wylie

Philotria linearis Rydb.

Philotria occidentalis (Pursh) House

Philotria planchonii (Casp.) Rydb.

Serpicula canadensis (Michx.) Eaton

Serpicula occidentalis Pursh

Serpicula verticillata Rostk. & W.L.E.Schmidt

Udora canadensis (Michx.) Nutt.

Common Name: Canadian Pondweed

No Image.

General Information

Elodea canadensis is a perennial, submerged, aquatic plant growing in fresh water with erect, branched or unbranched stems that root into the substrate[
270
Title
Flora of N. America
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses.
,
1093
Title
Invasive Species Compendium
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.cabi.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc).
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine. It is often cultivated as an aquatic plant for ponds, cool water aquariums and slow-flowing streams[
352
Title
KemperCentreForHomeGardeningPlantFinder
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Basic cultivation details, plant uses, habitat etc for several thousand species of plants, mainly from the temperate zone.
].
Elodea canadensis is considered to be a serious weed in Australia, and a principal weed in much of Europe. Impacts are mostly economic, due to a reduction in water flow, and transport disruption in severe cases, but also have significant environmental and social imapcts[
1093
Title
Invasive Species Compendium
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.cabi.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc).
]. When first introduced into European waterways in the mid nineteenth century, the plant spread rapidly to become a great pest, blocking many waterways[
17
Title
Flora of the British Isles.
Publication
 
Author
Clapham, Tutin and Warburg.
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Year
1962
ISBN
-
Description
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
]. It then seemed to lose its vigour in some areas, where it is now widespread but seldom abundant[
17
Title
Flora of the British Isles.
Publication
 
Author
Clapham, Tutin and Warburg.
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Year
1962
ISBN
-
Description
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

17
Title
Flora of the British Isles.
Publication
 
Author
Clapham, Tutin and Warburg.
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Year
1962
ISBN
-
Description
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
,
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
,
270
Title
Flora of N. America
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses.

Range

N. America - British Columbia to Quebec and Nova Scotia, south to California, New Mexico, Arkansas, Alabama and Florida

Habitat

Fresh water, mostly calcareous, of lakes and rivers from sea level to 2,000 metres in America[
270
Title
Flora of N. America
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses.
]. Slow-moving fresh water throughout most of Britain[
17
Title
Flora of the British Isles.
Publication
 
Author
Clapham, Tutin and Warburg.
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Year
1962
ISBN
-
Description
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
].

Properties

Weed PotentialYes
Medicinal Rating *  *
HabitPerennial
Height1.00 m
PollinatorsWater
Self-fertileNo
Cultivation StatusOrnamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Elodea canadensis has been known to tolerate winter temperatures down as low as -30°c[
352
Title
KemperCentreForHomeGardeningPlantFinder
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Basic cultivation details, plant uses, habitat etc for several thousand species of plants, mainly from the temperate zone.
]. It has a wide climatic tolerance, being present from the cold temperate climate of Alaska to the tropics of Puerto Rico, though it may be less common as the extremes of its range. It is predominant in temperate areas of North America and Europe. Pip and Simmons (1986) in Canada, and Sheldon and Boylen (1977) in the USA, studied the maximum depths at which a number of submerged aquatic plants were found, and the maximum recorded for any species was 12 - 14 metres for Elodea. In North America it has been recorded in neutral to slightly alkaline inland waters and in fresh to slightly brackish coastal waters
A floating, submerged plant of sunny, open speces, growing well in slowly-moving water and also succeeding in ponds[
257
Title
Native American Ethnobotany
Publication
 
Author
Moerman. D.
Publisher
Timber Press. Oregon.
Year
1998
ISBN
0-88192-453-9
Description
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
]. North American plants have been recorded in neutral to slightly alkaline inland waters and in fresh to slightly brackish coastal waters[
1093
Title
Invasive Species Compendium
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.cabi.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc).
]. Plants grow more vigorously when able to root into the mud of the pond[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. Plants have been known to succeed in water as deep as 12 - 14 metres[
1093
Title
Invasive Species Compendium
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.cabi.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc).
].
A dioecious species, though occasional hermaphrodite forms are found[
270
Title
Flora of N. America
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses.
]. Most of the plants grown in Europe are female clones and so seed is seldom, if ever, produced[
17
Title
Flora of the British Isles.
Publication
 
Author
Clapham, Tutin and Warburg.
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Year
1962
ISBN
-
Description
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
,
1093
Title
Invasive Species Compendium
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.cabi.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc).
].
Plants perennate by means of overwintering buds that sink to the bottom of the pond in the autumn and then commence growing in the spring.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

An infusion of the plant has been used as a strong emetic[
257
Title
Native American Ethnobotany
Publication
 
Author
Moerman. D.
Publisher
Timber Press. Oregon.
Year
1998
ISBN
0-88192-453-9
Description
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
].

Agroforestry Uses:

An excellent plant for growing in ponds etc, helping to oxygenate the water and, by absorbing nutrients, it helps control algae and keep waters clear[
352
Title
KemperCentreForHomeGardeningPlantFinder
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Basic cultivation details, plant uses, habitat etc for several thousand species of plants, mainly from the temperate zone.
]. Colonies in the wild provide excellent cover for fish, small crustaceans, insect larvae and snails[
352
Title
KemperCentreForHomeGardeningPlantFinder
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Basic cultivation details, plant uses, habitat etc for several thousand species of plants, mainly from the temperate zone.
].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - seldom produced in Britain, if it is obtained it should not be allowed to dry out and is best sown immediately in water.
Division can be carried out at almost any time in the growing season. Simply break off a bit of plant and place in water - it will soon produce roots. The stem can be weighted with something like a stone and then thrown into a pond to allow the stems to root into the mud.
Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2024-03-29. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Elodea+canadensis>

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