Aquatic weed comparison guides

Side-by-side comparisons of invasive species, treatment methods, and herbicide active ingredients. Built for homeowners and HOA boards who need to make a treatment decision without becoming a botanist first.

Plant identification

Hydrilla vs. milfoil vs. eelgrass
Three submerged plants that look superficially similar from a dock and require completely different treatment. Misidentifying one for another either kills native fish habitat or leaves the invasive untouched.
Hyacinth vs. lettuce vs. salvinia
Three free-floating invasives that show up in similar lakes and ponds across the southern United States. They look nothing alike close up but homeowners often lump them together.
Duckweed vs. watermeal vs. algae
All three appear as green coverage on a pond surface and all three indicate excess nutrients. The treatment strategy differs, and so does the difficulty of the underlying problem.
Cattail vs. torpedograss vs. alligator weed
Three emergent shoreline plants that take over Florida ponds and lakes. One is native and beneficial in moderation; two are aggressive invasives. Treatment varies dramatically.

Treatment methods

Mechanical vs. chemical vs. biological
The three primary classes of aquatic weed remediation. Each has a place; combining them is what makes a successful long-term program.

Herbicide chemistry

Glyphosate vs. 2,4-D vs. fluridone
Three of the most-used aquatic herbicides in US lake management. They are not interchangeable — each is matched to a specific problem and using the wrong one wastes the money and worsens the lake.