Wild Celery
Vallisneria americana
Also known as: Eelgrass, Tapegrass
A fully submerged native that sends up long, ribbon-like leaves from the bottom, forming underwater meadows that oxygenate the water and shelter fish. Tiny female flowers reach the surface on coiling stalks. A premier food for diving ducks like canvasbacks — and a workhorse of water-quality and lake restoration.
- Family
- Hydrocharitaceae
- Type
- wildflower
- Lifespan
- perennial
- Height
- 1–1 ft
- Spacing
- 1–3 ft apart
- Light
- sun, part shade
- Soil moisture
- wet
- Soil pH
- acidic, neutral, alkaline
- Bloom
- April, May, June, July, August, September
- Bloom colors
- green
- Wildlife value
- songbirds
- Landscape uses
- border, groundcover, container, rain garden, erosion control, naturalizing
- Native states
- AL, AR, AZ, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV