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Scientific Name:
Myriophyllum spicatum L. (ITIS)
Common Name:
Eurasian watermilfoil, spiked watermilfoil
Native To:
Europe, Asia, and North Africa (Eiswerth et al. 2000)
Date of U.S. Introduction:
Exact date unknown; between the 1880s and the 1940s (Eiswerth et al. 2000)
Means of Introduction:
Unknown, possibly through the aquarium trade or transport of watercraft (Nichols and Shaw 1986)
Impact:
Crowds out native species (Smith and Barko 1990)
Distribution / Maps / Survey Status
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University of Georgia. Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health.Provides state, county, point and GIS data. Maps can be downloaded and shared.
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DOI. USGS. Wetland and Aquatic Research Center.Provides detailed collection information as well as animated map.
Images
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Google.
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University of Georgia. Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health.
Videos
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Google. YouTube; University of Florida. IFAS. Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants.
Selected Resources
The section below contains highly relevant resources for this species, organized by source. Or, to display all related content view all resources for Eurasian Watermilfoil.
Council or Task Force
Alberta Invasive Species Council (Canada).
See also: Fact Sheets for more information about individual invasive species, including those listed as "Prohibited Noxious" and "Noxious" under the Alberta Weed Control Act
California Invasive Plant Council.
In online book: Bossard, C.C., J.M. Randall, and M.C. Hoshovsky (Editors). 2000. Invasive Plants of California's Wildlands. University of California Press. Berkeley, CA
Ohio Invasive Plants Council.
See also: Invasive Plants of Ohio for worst invasive plant species identified in Ohio's natural areas
Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office. Washington Invasive Species Council.
Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council.
Partnership
University of Alaska - Anchorage. Alaska Center for Conservation Science.
See also: Non-Native Plant Species List for additional factsheets (species biographies) and species risk assessment reports of non-native species present in Alaska and also non-native species currently not recorded in Alaska (potential invasives).
IUCN. Species Survival Commission. Invasive Species Specialist Group.
University of Georgia. Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health.
New York Invasive Species Clearinghouse.
CABI. Plantwise Knowledge Bank.
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Galveston Bay Estuary Program; Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC).
Federal Government
Smithsonian Institution. Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. Marine Invasions Research Lab.
DOI. USGS. Wetland and Aquatic Research Center.
Provides distribution maps and collection information (State and County).
USDA. ARS. National Genetic Resources Program. GRIN-Global.
International Government
Business Queensland (Australia).
Australian Government. Department of the Environment and Energy.
State and Local Government
New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services.
See also: Exotic Species Program - Publications for more resources
Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
See also: Invasive Plant Fact Sheets for plant species (trees, shrubs, vines, herbs and aquatic plants) that have impacted the state's natural lands
Colorado Department of Agriculture. Conservation Services Division. Noxious Weed Program.
Academic
University of Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Flora Project of Morris Arboretum.
See also: Invasive Plant Fact Sheets for additional invasive plants in Pennsylvania
University of Minnesota. Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center.
See also: Eurasian watermilfoil research
Texas A&M University. AgriLife Extension Service. Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences.
Pennsylvania State University. Cooperative Extension.
Pennsylvania State University. Pennsylvania Sea Grant.
See also: Aquatic Invasive Species: Resources for additional species information
University of Maine. Cooperative Extension.
See also: Maine Invasive Plants & Entire Series for entire series of 22 fact sheets and invasive plants brochure (available in HTML/PDF or for purchase)
University of Florida. IFAS. Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants.
Professional
Lake Stewards of Maine.
Special Note: Formerly known as the Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program.
Citations
- Eiswerth, M.E., S.G. Donaldson, and W.S. Johnson. 2000. Potential environmental impacts and economic damages of Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) in western Nevada and northeastern California. Weed Technology 14(3):511-518.
- Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Myriophyllum spicatum. [Accessed Sep 10, 2014].
- Nichols, S.A., and B.H. Shaw. 1986. Ecological life histories of the three aquatic nuisance plants, Myriophyllum spicatum, Potamogeton crispus and Elodea canadensis. Hydrobiologia 131(1):3-21.
- Smith C.G., and J.W. Barko. 1990. Ecology of Eurasian watermilfoil (PDF | 1.1 MB). Journal of Aquatic Plant Management 28:55-64.