American Eelgrass

Vallisneria americana

native · Central Texas

American Eelgrass is a wildflower native to Central Texas that grows 4–6 ft tall and 1 ft wide. It wants full sun or part shade and high water. Blooms green in mid summer. Deer rarely browse it. Good for birds.

Wet ground only. A wetland plant: it needs standing water or saturated soil — a pond edge, creek bank or rain garden, not a dry upland bed.

Will it grow in your yard?

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The facts

5 sources

Type: Wildflower
Sun: Full sun to part shade (4–8 hrs of direct sun)
Water: High
Height: 4–6 ft
Spread: 1 ft
Bloom: Mid Summer · green
Foliage: Deciduous or dies back in winter
Soil: Recorded on moist, mud, rich, sand
Deer: High — deer rarely browse it
Wildlife: Supports birds

Where it grows

Recorded in this EPA Level IV ecoregion in the Austin and Hill Country launch area:

Northern Blackland Prairie

19 occurrence records in Central Texas (GBIF).

Can you buy it?

Also grows here — hard to find. Native and recorded growing in Central Texas, but not on the grower stock lists we read. Sourcing varies: some are stocked widely, others you will have to hunt for.

also grows from seed It starts readily from seed, so a packet from a native-seed supplier, or seed collected with permission, is often the easiest way to get a plant no nursery pots.