Before your pond is treated, it is always crucial for us to correctly identify the growth. Many different pond weeds can resemble one another and might need a different approach for a successful treatment. Spadderdock, water lilies, lotus, and water shield are similar in appearance and are often confused with one another.
Water lilies and similar plants seed easily and can quickly become invasive and overtake your pond. Water lilies, or pond lilies, float on top of the water and have a large, fragrant flower. There are almost 60 different types of water lilies, which mean there are many different sizes, shapes, and colors. The most common tend to have rounded, notched leaves and have stamen in the center of the flower. Because of the large variety, this makes water lilies quite popular for ponds and water features.
Spadderdock, or Yellow Water Lily, has large, heart-shaped leaves and small yellow flowers. It is a very aggressive plant and can be quite difficult to chemically eradicate from a body of water. Part of this is due to the fact that its leaves sit lower into the water, which can make it difficult to work with when it comes to treatments with contact herbicides.
Lotus are also often confused with water lilies. Lotus is closely related to water lilies and spadderdock, but is classified in a different family. With rounded flower petals, the lotus flower and its leaves emerges high above the water and has a cone shape in the flower’s center. Water lilies, spadderdock, and lotus all respond to glyphosate-based products,
Water shield is also closely related, but is also classified in separate family. Their leaves are small and oval shaped, with a slime-y coating underneath. Water shield can have the appearance of a young water lily. Unlike the other plants previously mentioned, water shield requires a different product for treatment. This is why correct identification can be crucial. We would need to use a diquat product for treatment, which we would be indicated with a red flag instead of a blue one. When we leave a red flag, we just ask that you avoid pond use for 24 hours to keep the product as still as possible.
Contact us at the office if you have any further questions regarding your pond treatment.