Water Gardeners and Aquarium Owners

In the State of Maine it is now illegal to sell, propagate, or introduce to Maine waters these eleven invasive aquatic plants. These plants are aggressive growers. If they are introduced into our freshwaters they will become a serious nuisance.

Currently, eight of these plants have been found in Maine waterbodies -- Variable-leaf Milfoil, Hydrilla, Curly-leaved Pondweed, Eurasian Milfoil, Najas minor, European Frog's-bit, Parrotfeather, and Swollen Bladderwort.

There are many alternate names for these invasive plants! Below is a list of Maine's illegal aquatic plants organized by scientific name, common name and known pseudonyms. Verify the scientific name when purchasing aquatic plants.

Illegal for Sale in Maine

(Scientific Name - Genus & Species - followed by common names and aliases)

• All Cabomba species, including but not limited to Cabomba caroliniana, fanwort
• Egeria densa, Brazilian elodea
• Anacharis
• Anacharis densa
• Anacharis canadensis gigantea
• Elodea
• Elodea densa
• Elodea canadensis gigantea
• Brazilian Waterweed
• Common Waterweed
• Leavy Elodea
• Hydrilla verticillata, Hydrilla
• Hydrocharis morsus-ranae, Frog-bit, European Frog-bit
• All Myriophyllum (milfoil) species nonindigenous to the State, including but not limited to Myriophyllum heterophyllum, variable-leaf water-milfoil; Myriophyllum spicatum, Eurasian water-milfoil; and Myriophyllum aquaticum, parrot feather
• Najas minor, European Naiad
• Nymphoides peltata, Yellow Floating Heart
• Potamogeton crispus, Curly Pondweed
• Salvinia molesta, Giant salvinia
• Stratiotes aloides, Water soldier
• All Trapa species, including but not limited to Trapa natans, water chestnut
• Utricularia inflata, Swollen bladderwort