Coontail

Coontail grows completely submerged, usually though not always floating on the surface. The plant stems can reach over a meter in length in the aquarium. The forked leaves feel brittle and stiff to the touch. The plants have no roots at all, but sometimes they develop modified leaves with a rootlike appearance, which anchor the plant to the bottom. It is slower growing at lower temperatures and will form thicker leaves which give it the appearance of a different species. In ponds it forms thick buds in the autumn that sink to the bottom which give the impression that it has been killed by the frost but come spring these will grow back into the long stems slowly filling up the pond.

Fairly tough but long stems will snap if roughly handled. Because of their appearance and their high oxygen production, they are often used in freshwater aquaria. Coontail is a very easy to grow plant that is tolerant of most water conditions and temperatures. It makes an excellent, tough to kill beginner's plant.