Invasive Species | Aquatic Plants

Aquarium plants

Aquarium plants like Hydrilla can become invasive when dumped into our local waterbodies, impacting fish and water flow. Photo: John M. Randall, The Nature Conservancy.

Aquarium plants


Aquarium plants are popular additions to aquariums and can provide habitat for fish, but can become invasive when released into our natural aquatic environments. There are many examples of invasive aquarium plants, including;

•      Hydrilla

•      Parrot feather

•      Water Soldier

Impacts can include out competing native plant species, limiting fish habitat, and impacting water flow. It is important to dispose of unwanted aquarium plants properly to ensure they don’t become invasive in our environments, see our Don’t Let It Loose program page for more information on proper disposal.


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