Pond Plant ID Help

[wifezilla]

Hi All! Since I wasn't annoying enough of you on BYC and the SS forum I had to join here too

Actually I need a bit of help with some pond plant ID. These are wild growing in Colorado at about 5,500 ft in elevation.

Watercress?

More watercress?

Was growing in the water but several plants were also on shore (ignore the frostbite). Some type of primrose? (Thanks for the suggestion Imp)

 

[vfem]

I gotta research this... I'll get back to ya! :/

 

[Sylvie]

First pic looks like watercress. Did you smell it? It would smell pungent.
The last looks like my Teasle.

 

[setter4]

1st and 3rd one looks like Duck Weed. It takes over!

 

[patandchickens]

Definitely none of them are duckweed. Duckweed is tiny flat leaves about the size of an apple seed (only rounder), and while it has a few thin thready roots it has no stem at all (is a floating plant, not rooted in the mud).

I don't honestly believe that any of them are watercress although I do not swear to that in a court of law. If any is, it's the second of them.

You can't reliably identify aquatic plants when they are this tiny (unless you are an expert); you will have to let them get larger. They are even worse than terrestrial plants for having their leaves change character as you get older larger leaves.

Chances are pretty good that at least some of them are not even aquatic plants per se, just land plants that happen to be submerged at the moment.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[inchworm]

Well, don't eat it. Maybe you'll figure it out when it blooms. I think creeping Jenny is a possibility.

 

[wifezilla]

I know none of them are duckweed...wrong shape. I actually ordered some of that. I am not worried about it taking over since I have ducks that are more than happy to eat them.

I collected these hoping to find duckweed, but guess what? My ducks will eat each and every one of these plants given the chance

Since they were not duck weed I put them out by the pond...one INSIDE a water feature thinking they might grow and help keep the water clear. Lana found them and ate them all within about 3 seconds.

While the sample I have on the last one looks similar to teasel, I am pretty sure it isn't. The leaves are to thick and stiff. I am pretty sure after remembering some primrose I had a few year back that this is some kind of primrose.

All but the last one are definitely aquatic plants and have been only growing in the water in this pond for years....I just never paid close enough attention before to notice what they are like at different stages and what their flowers look like.

I have them all floating in a bowl of duck pond water right now. I will plant what I think is the primrose and see how that does.

The others I may put in a wire basket or something in the pond and see how they develop. I just have to keep them from being a duck snack long enough to figure it out

 

[setter4]

Definitely none of them are duckweed. Duckweed is tiny flat leaves about the size of an apple seed (only rounder), and while it has a few thin thready roots it has no stem at all (is a floating plant, not rooted in the mud).

I don't honestly believe that any of them are watercress although I do not swear to that in a court of law. If any is, it's the second of them.

You can't reliably identify aquatic plants when they are this tiny (unless you are an expert); you will have to let them get larger. They are even worse than terrestrial plants for having their leaves change character as you get older larger leaves.

Chances are pretty good that at least some of them are not even aquatic plants per se, just land plants that happen to be submerged at the moment.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

There are about a half dozen species of duck weed. I'm not sure if any of them have stems but some are much larger than apple seeds.

 

[wifezilla]

I know size varies but duckweed doesn't have stems.

 

[vfem]

Well, last year I had a ton of duckweed... now I have ducks.... not so much so far this year! LOL

I'm taking a guess my lotus may be in for some serious attack as well this year. I didn't think that through when I started growing them, and hatching ducks!