- Common name
- Leafy elodea (anacharis)
- Scientific name
- Elodea densa
- Category
- Aquarium plant
- Group
- Submerged invasive aquatic plants
- Environment
- Freshwater aquatic plant; prohibited from sale in South Australia
- Origin
- Native from eastern Bolivia to southeastern and southern Brazil, northeastern Argentina and Uruguay; invasive elsewhere
- Care level
- Biosecurity identification profile
- Adult size
- Stems commonly exceed 1.5 metres and may reach about 5 metres
- Expected lifespan
- Long-lived perennial
- Minimum housing
- Do not buy, sell or distribute in South Australia; use this page for identification and biosecurity, not cultivation advice
- Temperature
- Not applicable to cultivation guidance in South Australia; this is a declared alert-weed identification and containment profile.
- pH
- Not applicable to cultivation guidance in South Australia; do not use water chemistry to facilitate growth.
- Hardness / minerals
- Not applicable to cultivation guidance in South Australia; the priority is identification, containment, reporting and lawful disposal.
- Salinity
- Freshwater
- Lighting
- Unknown; grows submerged in illuminated freshwater
- Placement / zone
- Submerged water column, rooted or free fragments
- Filtration
- Do not establish this plant in an aquarium or pond. If a suspected fragment is already present, isolate the system, guard every intake and outlet, and capture fragments without spreading them to drains, soil or waterways.
- Aeration
- No cultivation recommendation applies. Maintain animal-safe oxygen only while a contaminated aquarium is being contained; aeration equipment and spray must not disperse fragments.
- Maintenance
- Do not propagate. Isolate suspected material, recover every fragment, securely contain plant and wet waste, clean equipment without releasing viable tissue, and follow current PIRSA reporting and disposal directions.
Identity and search names
Use for Elodea densa and its established synonyms. Do not confuse it with lawful native or aquarium plants that look similar.
Search names: Egeria densa, Anacharis densa, Brazilian elodea, Anacharis
Environment and housing
This is an identification and biosecurity profile. Do not cultivate, sell or distribute it in South Australia.
Social structure: Not applicable
Feeding and nutrition
Feeding ecology: Not applicable to public cultivation in South Australia
Feeding routine: Maintain light, carbon and nutrients according to measured plant response
Breeding, reproduction or spread
Spreads effectively from stem fragments and vegetative growth. Female plants have not been reported in Australia in the cited weed guidance.
Detailed care and app-ready planning
- Identity scope
- Use for Elodea densa and its established synonyms. Do not confuse it with lawful native or aquarium plants that look similar.
- Adult size and space
- Stems commonly exceed 1.5 m and may reach about 5 m in suitable water, forming dense submerged masses.
- Social structure
- Dense clonal submerged stands formed by branching stems and fragments; no aquarium social structure applies. A single fragment can start a new infestation.
- Swimming zone or placement
- Potentially the full submerged water column and surface approach; this is an occupied-waterway description, not an aquarium placement recommendation.
- Feeding ecology
- Photosynthetic submerged invasive macrophyte using light and dissolved nutrients; no cultivation feeding plan is provided.
- Feeding plan
- Not applicable—do not cultivate or fertilise this declared weed.
- Water stability
- Unknown; the page is not a cultivation guide.
- Habitat structure
- Freshwater ponds, lakes, streams and other waterways; no aquarium habitat recommendation is provided.
- Compatibility plan
- Do not add to aquaria, ponds, dams or waterways. Confirm suspected plants before disposal so lawful look-alikes are not misidentified.
- Breeding or reproduction plan
- Do not propagate. Prevent vegetative fragments from moving in water, on nets, pumps, plants, boats or equipment.
- Quarantine
- Isolate a suspected plant and all fragments in a sealed container while obtaining identification or disposal advice.
- Welfare checks
- Not applicable; inspect instead for escaped fragments and accidental spread.
- Biosecurity and release
- In South Australia it is a declared alert weed and prohibited from sale. Securely bag plant material, prevent fragment escape and follow current PIRSA disposal or reporting guidance.
- Main risk
- Invasive spread from tiny fragments and unlawful sale or distribution.
- Adult projected load
- Dense submerged biomass can obstruct flow, shade native vegetation, trap sediment and create severe oxygen demand when large masses decay.
- Filtration
- Do not establish this plant in an aquarium or pond. If a suspected fragment is already present, isolate the system, guard every intake and outlet, and capture fragments without spreading them to drains, soil or waterways.
- Aeration
- No cultivation recommendation applies. Maintain animal-safe oxygen only while a contaminated aquarium is being contained; aeration equipment and spray must not disperse fragments.
- Maintenance
- Do not propagate. Isolate suspected material, recover every fragment, securely contain plant and wet waste, clean equipment without releasing viable tissue, and follow current PIRSA reporting and disposal directions.
- Overridable warnings
- Non-overridable in South Australia: do not buy, sell, distribute, cultivate or release leafy elodea; contain suspected material and follow current PIRSA reporting and disposal instructions. No aquarium preference overrides declared-weed controls.
- Identity
- Accepted name Elodea densa. Egeria densa, Anacharis densa and Brazilian elodea are important synonyms and search names.
- Environment
- This is an identification and biosecurity profile. Do not cultivate, sell or distribute it in South Australia.
- Feeding
- Not applicable. Public cultivation guidance is intentionally omitted because sale is prohibited in South Australia.
- Breeding
- Spreads effectively from stem fragments and vegetative growth. Female plants have not been reported in Australia in the cited weed guidance.
- Adult size and space
- Stems commonly exceed 1.5 m and may reach about 5 m in suitable water, forming dense submerged masses.
- Growth Rate
- Can spread rapidly through fragments in suitable waterways.
- Lighting Plan
- Unknown; no cultivation recommendation is provided.
- Carbon Plan
- Unknown; no cultivation recommendation is provided.
- Nutrient Plan
- Unknown; no cultivation recommendation is provided.
- Substrate Plan
- Not applicable for public cultivation in South Australia.
- Propagation plan
- Do not propagate. Prevent every stem fragment from entering drains, soil, ponds or waterways.
- Biosecurity and release
- In South Australia it is a declared alert weed and prohibited from sale. Securely bag plant material, prevent fragment escape and follow current PIRSA disposal or reporting guidance.
Compatibility, welfare and risk
Compatibility: Not recommended for aquaria or ponds where fragments could escape; sale is prohibited in South Australia
Welfare: Not applicable; inspect instead for escaped fragments and accidental spread.
Main warning: Leafy elodea is a declared alert weed in South Australia and is prohibited from sale. Tiny stem fragments can establish new infestations.
Biosecurity and release
In South Australia it is a declared alert weed and prohibited from sale. Securely bag plant material, prevent fragment escape and follow current PIRSA disposal or reporting guidance.