Appearance
Nymphoides peltata is an herbaceous, perennial, aquatic plant that has stout, branching stems up to 0.1 in. (2-3 mm) thick. It is often found rooted in the mud of still bodies of water.

Foliage
The leaves, which arise from rhizomes and are usually opposite and unequal. The leaves are cordate to subrotund in shape measuring from 2-6 in. (5-15 cm) long and wide.

Flowers
The bright yellow flowers of Nymphoides peltata have five petals, and measure from 1-1.5 in. (3-4 cm) in diameter when fully open. There is one to several flowers on each stalk. The edges of the petals are fringed. This plant flowers from June to September.

Fruit
The seeds are contained in beaked capsules that measure 0.5-1 in. (1.2-2.5 cm) in length. The seeds themselves are flat and oval in shape and have ciliate margins that measure 0.1 in. (3.5 mm) in length.

Ecological Threat
Although N. peltata has the potential to shade and crowd out native aquatic plants. In warmer areas, it has formed large stands that can block waterways. N. peltata is still commonly sold as a plant for water gardens and can be carelessly disposed of into local waterbodies. It prefers the still waters found in lakes and ponds. It is often found in water gardens, which are the source of many of its introductions.

Citations
Rawlins, K.A., R.L. Winston, C.T. Bargeron, D.J. Moorhead, and R. Carroll. 2018. New Invaders of the Northeast and Northcentral United States. USDA Forest Service, Forest Health Assessment and Applied Sciences Team, Morgantown, West Virginia. FHTET-2017-04. Retrieved from https://bugwoodcloud.org/resource/pdf/FHTET-2017-04_New%20Invaders_NE.pdf
 

Selected Images

Maps

Invasive Listing Sources

• Alberta Fisheries Act
• Connecticut Invasive Plant List
• Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group
• Florida Noxious Weeds
• Idaho Noxious Weeds
• Indiana Invasive Species Council - Invasive Plant List
• Indiana Pest Species
• Indiana Prohibited Plant Species
• Maryland Aquatic Nuisance Species Plan
• Maryland Department of Natural Resources Policy: Restriction on Planting Exotic Invasive Plants
• Massachusetts Invasive Plants Advisory Group List
• Massachusetts Noxious Weeds
• Massachusetts Prohibited Plant List
• Michigan’s Invasive Species Watch List
• Michigan’s Prohibited and Restricted Species
• Mid-Atlantic Field Guide to Aquatic Invasive Species
• National Park Service, Mid-Atlantic Exotic Plant Management Team Invasive Plant List
• National Park Service, National Capital Region Exotic Plant Management Team Invasive Plant List
• Native Plant Society of Oregon, 2008
• New Hampshire Invasive Species Committee. 2005. Guide to Invasive Upland Plant Species in New Hampshire. New Hampshire Department of Agriculture,  Markets and Food Plant Industry Division and New Hampshire Invasive Species Committee.
• New Hampshire Prohibited Aquatic Species
• New Invaders of the Northeast and Northcentral
• New Jersey Invasive Species Strike Team 2017 Invasive Species List
• New York Regulated and Prohibited Invasive Species - Prohibited
• Nonnative Invasive Species in Southern Forest and Grassland Ecosystems
• North Carolina Noxious Weeds
• Ontario’s Invading Species Awareness Program Tracked Species List
• Oregon Noxious Weeds
• Pacific Northwest Exotic Pest Plant Council, 1998
• Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Invasive Plants
• Pennsylvania Noxious Weeds
• Pennsylvania's Field Guide to Aquatic Invasive Species
• Rhode Island Natural History Survey
• Saskatchewan Prohibited, Noxious, and Nuisance Weeds List
• South Carolina Illegal Aquatic Plants
• South Carolina Invasive Pest Council
• South Carolina Plant Pest List
• To be proposed for MISC
• Vermont Noxious Weeds
• Washington Noxious Weeds
• WeedUS - Database of Plants Invading Natural Areas in the United States
• Wisconsin Noxious Weeds
• Wisconsin's Invasive species rule – NR 40

References