Coontail is a common native freshwater plant that stays completely submersed and is more commonly found earlier on in the pond treatment season. Coontail is one of the only pants that can pollinate completely under water. This plant is free floating, but the leaf structure will modify to allow the plant to attach to the pond floor, which makes the plant appear rooted. Its common name comes from the bottle-brush shaped growth. This plant is often misidentified as milfoil; however, milfoil leaves are feather like and coontail leaves are rigid.
Because Coontail is a native freshwater plant it isn’t a terrible addition to your pond, however if it becomes too thick the growth becomes a pond problem. Coontail can become so thick that it stunts fish and inhibits recreational activities like fishing, swimming and boating.
Coontail is best treated in water temperatures above 60°F. Because the plant reproduces by seeds and fragmentation, cutting only spreads the growth.
