Elodea canadensis

RHS Plant Profile

Canadian pondweed

Dorling Kindersley Ltd

Other common names

Canadian waterweed, American waterweed, choke pondweed, ditch moss, little snakeweed, water thyme

Synonyms

Anacharis canadensis
Anacharis alsinastrum
Anacharis occidentalis

Aquatic

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This plant is listed as an invasive non-native species in the UK – see Cultivation section for details. A submerged aquatic perennial forming long, branched stems clothed with dense whorls of close-set, recurved, dark green leaves

Position

Full sun

Max Height

0.1-0.5 metres

Max Spread

0.5-1 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 5–10 years
Max Spread: 0.5-1 metres
Max Height: 0.1-0.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Moisture: Poorly–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun

Aspect: East–facing or South–facing or West–facing
Exposure: Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H5

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Hydrocharitaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Semi evergreen
Habit: Submerged, Floating
Genus: Elodea are submerged, aquatic perennials with erect, spreading stems and bright green leaves borne in whorls of three. Tiny, solitary flowers are produced in the leaf axils.
Name Status: Correct
Plant Range: N America

How to Grow

Cultivation

This plant is listed on Schedule 9 of the Wildlife & Countryside Act (1981) and the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 as an invasive non-native species. It is an offence to plant or cause it to grow in the wild in the UK. See RHS advice on invasive non-native species for further information

Propagation

See cultivation notes

Pests

See cultivation notes

Diseases

See cultivation notes