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Coontail

Ceratophyllum demersum

Other common name(s):

Coon's Tail, Hornwort, Common Hornwort

Family:

Ceratophyllaceae (Hornwort Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

Chihuahuan Deserts, East Central Texas Plains, Edwards Plateau, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, Southern Texas Plains, Southwestern Tablelands, Texas Blackland Prairies, Western Gulf Coastal Plain
Stockton Plateau
Grand Prairie
Bastrop Lost Pines, Floodplains and Low Terraces2, Northern Post Oak Savanna, Northern Prairie Outliers, San Antonio Prairie, Southern Post Oak Savanna
Edwards Plateau Woodland
Lower Rio Grande Alluvial Floodplain, Northern Humid Gulf Coastal Prairies, Texas-Louisiana Coastal Marshes
Semiarid Edwards Bajada
Canadian/Cimarron Breaks
Northern Blackland Prairie
Flatwoods, Floodplains and Low Terraces3, Pleistocene Fluvial Terraces, Red River Bottomlands, Southern Tertiary Uplands, Tertiary Uplands

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Wetland

Height

1
to
12
ft.

Spread

1
to
12
ft.

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Calcareous, Moist

Light Requirement

Part Shade

Water Requirement

High

Native Habitat

Wetland or Riparian

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

Pink, Yellow, Blue

Bloom Season

Spring, Summer, Fall

Seasonal Interest

Forage

Wildlife Benefit

Aquatic Wildlife

Maintenance

Brittle, rootless and entirely submerged. Useful as oxygenator in garden ponds. It tolerates habitat degradation quite well. Set up a pond or a water collection tank near a downspout to supplement water.

Comments

Aquatic floating stems. Flowers are inconspicuous. Common in ditches, lakes and streams, preferably in calcareous water.. Can be found in fresh to slightly brackish rivers, acidic to alkaline, with medium to high nutrient levels, in water up to 13 feet deep. Shelter for small fishes and aquatic invertebrates.
Previous Scientific Name(s): Synonym(s): Ceratophyllum apiculatum, Ceratophyllum demersum var. apiculatum

References

1) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=CEDE4l; 2) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt#null; 3) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=7569&locationType=County&mapType=Normal; 4) https://portal.torcherbaria.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=Ceratophyllum+demersum&formsubmit=Search+Terms

Get in Touch

Contact the State

Contact a local Chapter

State Office Phone: 830.997.9272

State Office Address:
Native Plant Society of Texas
PO Box 3017
Fredericksburg, TX 78624

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