Parrots Feather - Invasive Species Information
Reproduction: Parrot feather reproduces asexually. New plants grow from fragments of already rooted plants.
Parrots Feather is an aquatic perennial native to Central and South America and grows in emergent and submerged form.
Leaves & Stem
Both forms are similar in appearance. Most often found in nutrient rich waters.
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Parrot feather gets its name from its feather-like leaves that are arranged around the stem in whorls of four to six. The emergent stems and leaves are the most distinctive trait of parrot feather, as they can grow up to a foot above the water surface and look almost like small fir trees.
How To Identify Parrots Feather?
Flower: Small pinkish-white
Leaves: Featherlike in appearance, bright blue-grey to green
Stem: breaks easily, brown roots present around nodes
Parrots Feather Myriophyllum aquaticum ID Guide
Leaf & Stem
Emerging Leaves
Invasive Stand
Why Is Parrots Feather A Problem?
Parrots feather can seriously change the physical and chemical characteristics of lakes and streams. It grows abundantly, shades out naturally occurring algae, and clogs irrigation ducts and canals increasing the risk of flooding by blocking watercourses and drainage channels.
Parrots feather typically exist in bundles and extend out of the water. In large numbers, the plants make a dense mat on the water's surface, shading the water from sunlight and causing native plants to die due to light deficiency.
Can rapidly dominate a water body displacing native species, causing organisms that feed on the native plants to die off.
Dense mats also cause problems for recreation, Swimmers and boat propellors can become entangled. The mats are also a breeding ground for mosquitos.
What Is Parrots Feather - (Myriophyllum aquaticum)?
Habitat: Aquatic, Still or slowly flowing water
Distribution in Ireland: Sparse distribution but locally abundant in some places.
Status: Established
Family name: Haloragaceae
European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011 non-native invasive plant species A-Z (Updated 2017)
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There are currently 35 invasive plant species listed in the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations (annex 2, Part 1)...
Click on a species from the following list to find out more regarding non-native species subject to restrictions under Regulations 49 and 50.
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American Skunk-Cabbage - Lysichiton americanus
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Red Alga - Grateloupia doryphora
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Waterweeds - Elodea (all species)