Yet, It did not stay there. Now it is thought to be an invasive species that threatens The northern Us fresh water streams, rivers, ponds and lakes.

In its indigenous Eurasian surroundings it is a comparatively innocent flora (but still a bit of a pest) but here, out of its regular waters, it takes over and demolish ecosystems, clogs water intakes and power plants, and makes them undesirable for recreational purposes.

A Number Of hypotheses are around that explain its foundation. One is that it hitched a ride on the ballast of a ship coming from Europe or Asia. That is a good guess. When they tested ships departing invaded water, 25% carried some milfoil with it. The other main possibility is it was introduced by people discarding fish tank plants or packing material used to ship live worms.

The most dangerous thing about this plant is that it can adapt to live in nearly every kind of marine habitat in the Northern states. It can live in the cold of Washington State or the warmth of Florida. From fresh waters of the Rockies to the brackish waters of the salt marshes it can prosper. To make its life easier, nothing seems to like eating it.

Once established it propagates quickly in waters that range from 2 feet to up to thirty feet, matting up just below the surface and clogging out the native vegetation. Some plants like millet are given little chance to grow, which causes troubles because they are a food source for many and a home for small aquatic animals. This tangled growth also causes trouble for any mammals or birds that fish for their food. Further more, the huge mats keep the wind from properly aerating the water and choking adult fish as well as helping spawn algae blooms which further exacerbate the problem.

These plants are problematic to people as well. Not only does milfoil reduce water quality but the mats make shoreline bathing hopeless. Milfoil hinders fish breeding, which means fewer fishermen. Milfoil is also a problem for sailors because it can become trapped on the engine, cause risks for water skiers and block navigation hazards from the sailors view.

Communities and companies are also put at a disadvantage because of this little water plant. Water intakes or over flows can get clogged leading to deficits in some areas and flooding in others. Dykes and electricity output can also be affected if the water plant mats get caught up in the dams.

Milfoil control has been hard. More Often Than Not poisons are out of the question as they destroy the very ecosystem they were meant to save. Physically removing the flora isn’t fully successful because the parts that break off can form new plants somewhere else. For that reason the large automatic harvesters are only used in the worst cases and then only as a first step. Milfoil has been more successfully removed by vacuum dragging, which can pick up any damaged pieces left behind. A weevil maybe the solution to the milfoil dilemma as it love to eat the water plant and is a natural way to fight the weed.

Milfoil is just one type of invasive species that has overstayed its welcome; many other invasive aquatic plants are still thriving across the country. When plants or animals are inserted outside their natural environment, you can’t anticipate the significances.