Eurasian Watermilfoil | National Invasive Species Information Center

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)

Eurasian watermilfoil, infestation; dense canopy on surface at Cayuga Lake (New York)

Credit

Photo by Robert L. Johnson; Cornell University

Source

Invasive.org.

Find more images

Spotlights

Spread the Word, Not the Weeds
- Feb 22, 2021
- USDA. Blog.
- Deceptively delicate and fragile in appearance, the Eurasian watermilfoil forms thick mats in shallow areas of a lake, quickly growing and spreading to block sunlight, killing off native aquatic plants that fish and other underwater species rely on for food and shelter. In North America, the plant threatens the diversity and abundance of native plants as well as the ecological balance of lakes and ponds, which in turn adversely affects recreational opportunities. If left unchecked, invasive watermilfoil will spread through a lake, or even to other lakes by transmission. An expert team of USDA Forest Service divers with invasive species and aquatics expertise is focused on rooting out the plant.

Distribution / Maps / Survey Status

Early Detection & Distribution Mapping System (EDDMapS) - Eurasian Water-milfoil
- University of Georgia. Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health.
- Provides state, county, point and GIS data. Maps can be downloaded and shared.
Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database: Point Map - Eurasian Watermilfoil
- DOI. USGS. Wetland and Aquatic Research Center.
- Provides detailed collection information as well as animated map.

Videos

Rapid Response Kit: Eurasian Water Milfoil
- Google. YouTube; Wildlife Forever.
YouTube - How to Identify Eurasian Water-milfoil
- Google. YouTube; Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (Canada). Ontario's Invading Species Awareness Program.

All Resources

View and Filter All Eurasian Watermilfoil Resources

Selected Resources

The section below contains highly relevant resources for this species, organized by source.

Council or Task Force

Fact Sheet: Eurasian Watermilfoil [PDF, 390 KB]
- Jan 2014
- 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
Invasive Plants of California's Wildlands - Myriophyllum spicatum
- 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
Invasive Plants of Ohio: Fact Sheet 12 - Eurasian Water-milfoil [PDF, 368 KB]
- Ohio Invasive Plants Council.
- See also: Invasive Plants of Ohio for worst invasive plant species identified in Ohio's natural areas
Priority Species: Eurasian Watermilfoil
- Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office. Washington Invasive Species Council.
Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council Invasive Plant Manual - Eurasian Water-milfoil
- Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council.

Partnership

Alaska Exotic Plants Information Clearinghouse (AKEPIC): Species Biography - Eurasian Watermilfoil [PDF, 92 KB]
- Feb 8, 2011
- 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).
Global Invasive Species Database - Myriophyllum spicatum (aquatic plant)
- IUCN. Species Survival Commission. Invasive Species Specialist Group.
Invaders Factsheet: Eurasian Watermilfoil
- Ontario's Invading Species Awareness Program (Canada).
Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States - Eurasian Water-milfoil
- University of Georgia. Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health.
Invasive Species Compendium - Myriophyllum spicatum
- CAB International.
NEANS Panel Online Guide - Eurasian Watermilfoil
- Northeast Aquatic Nuisance Species Panel.
New York Invasive Species Information - Eurasian Watermilfoil
- New York Invasive Species Clearinghouse.
Plantwise Technical Factsheet - Spiked Watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum)
- CABI. PlantwisePlus Knowledge Bank.
Texas Invasives Database - Myriophyllum spicatum
- TexasInvasives.org.
The Quiet Invasion: A Guide to Invasive Species of the Galveston Bay Area - Eurasian Watermilfoil
- Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Galveston Bay Estuary Program; Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC).
Weeds Australia - Eurasian Water Milfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum)
- Centre for Invasive Species Solutions; Atlas of Living Australia; Australian Government. Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment.

Federal Government

National Exotic Marine and Estuarine Species Information System (NEMESIS): Chesapeake Bay Introduced Species Database - Myriophyllum spicatum
- Smithsonian Institution. Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. Marine Invasions Research Lab.
Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database: Fact Sheet - Eurasian Watermilfoil
- DOI. USGS. Wetland and Aquatic Research Center.
- Provides distribution maps and collection information (State and County).
PLANTS Database - Eurasian Watermilfoil
- USDA. NRCS. National Plant Data Center.
U.S. National Plant Germplasm System - Myriophyllum spicatum
- USDA. ARS. National Genetic Resources Program. GRIN-Global.

International Government

NSW WeedWise: Eurasian water milfoil
- New South Wales Department of Primary Industries (Australia).
Invasive Plants: Prohibited Invasive Plants - Eurasian Water Milfoil
- Business Queensland (Australia).

State and Local Government

Environmental Fact Sheet: Eurasian Milfoil [PDF, 516 KB]
- 2019
- New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services.
- See also: Publications - Invasive for more resources
Class B Noxious Weed: Eurasian Watermilfoil
- Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board.
Eurasian Water Milfoil
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Invasive Plants in Pennsylvania: Eurasian Water-milfoil [PDF, 105 KB]
- 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
Noxious Weed Species ID - Eurasian Watermilfoil
- Colorado Department of Agriculture. Conservation Services Division. Noxious Weed Program.

Academic

Invasive Plant Fact Sheet - Eurasian Water-milfoil [PDF, 138 KB]
- Nov 2011
- University of Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Flora Project of Morris Arboretum.
- See also: Invasive Plant Fact Sheets for additional invasive plants in Pennsylvania
AIS in Minnesota - Eurasian and Hybrid Watermilfoil
- University of Minnesota. Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center.
AQUAPLANT - Eurasian Watermilfoil
- Texas A&M University. AgriLife Extension Service. Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences.
Aquatic Plants and Algae: Eurasian Water Milfoil
- Pennsylvania State University. Cooperative Extension.
Factsheet: Eurasian Watermilfoil
- Pennsylvania State University. Pennsylvania Sea Grant.
- See also: Aquatic Invasive Species Fact Sheets for additional species information
Invasive Species Guide - Eurasian Watermilfoil
- University of Wisconsin Sea Grant.
Plant Profile: Myriophyllum spicatum
- University of Florida. IFAS. Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants.

Professional

Noxious Weed Information - Eurasian Watermilfoil
- Colorado Weed Management Association.
Weed Identification - Eurasian Water Milfoil
- Montana Weed Control Association.

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 Aug 31, 2023].
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.