PlantPeers
Back to Catalog
No image available
Hydrocharitaceae FAMILY

Hydrilla verticillata

Hydrilla verticillata

Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitAnnual/Perennial
GrowthFast

A submerged water plant, it prefers growing in alkaline water[1]. A good oxygenator for ponds, the plant forms a large mass with stems up to 2 metres long[2, 1]. This is a very vigorous species which can regrow from even small sections of the plant. Stem fragments become rooted by fine, unbranched adventitious roots and soon produce vegetative reproductive structures from both subterranean and erect stems[3]. Tubers produced on subterranean stems are pale brown; those produced on erect stems are dark olive-green and covered with short, stiff scales. Both types germinate quickly to produce new stems[3]. This species has often invaded native habitats, clogging waterways and crowding out native species of flora and fauna[4]. It is considered a noxious weed in many areas[4]. Plants can be monoecious or dioecious. Dioecious plants (usually female) are triploid forms whilst monoecious plants are diploid[4]. Male flowers are released from the plant under water. They float to the surface where they release their pollen to fertilize female flowers[4].

Propagation

Seed - it is quite likely that seed must be kept moist in order to maintain viability. If seed can be obtained, it is probably best sown immediately in a greenhouse in soil covered with water. Tubers - plant immediately in soil covered in water, Division - even small sections of stem will soon start producing roots when placed in water. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Hydrilla+verticillata>

Pollinators

Water

References

  1. [1]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  2. [2]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
  3. [3]Flora of N. America — http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ ↩︎An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses.
  4. [4]Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas — Diggs, Jnr. G.M.; Lipscomb. B. L. & O'Kennon. R. J · Botanical Research Institute, Texas. · 1999 · http://artemis.austincollege.edu/acad/bio/gdiggs/NCTXpdf.htm · ISBN 1-889878-01-4 ↩︎An excellent flora, which is also available on-line.
  5. [5]A Barefoot Doctors Manual. — ? · Running Press; Philadelphica. · 1977 · ISBN 0-914294-92-X ↩︎A very readable herbal from China, combining some modern methods with traditional chinese methods.
  6. [6]Plants and People of Nepal — Manandhar. N. P. · Timber Press. Oregon. · 2002 · ISBN 0-88192-527-6 ↩︎Excellent book, covering over 1,500 species of useful plants from Nepal together with information on the geography and peoples of Nepal. Good descriptions of the plants with terse notes on their uses.
  7. [7]Plants for Human Consumption. — Kunkel. G. · Koeltz Scientific Books · 1984 · ISBN 3874292169 ↩︎An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of Latin names with a brief list of edible parts.