# Hygrophila Illegal in ohio?



## Simpte 27 (Jul 16, 2004)

I just came back from my petstore and they told me that Hygrophila is now illegal in Ohio. Anyone else hear of this?


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## skinns (Apr 8, 2004)

What? That's bizarre. What was the reasoning?


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## Simpte 27 (Jul 16, 2004)

I was told (but never confirmed) that Ohio didn't want it introduced into the natural waterways.


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## bharada (Apr 17, 2004)

There are a lot of aquatic plants that are on either state or federal noxious weed lists.


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## Simpte 27 (Jul 16, 2004)

After looking it over, its not on the list. Guessing that the site hasn't been updated recently.


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## gnome (Jan 27, 2004)

I thought that it was illegal to import or distribute H. polysperma in all of the U.S. It's been banned from California for years. However, I think this is the only Hygrophila species (along with all of its variegated forms) that is banned. Most others should be fine. Bacopa monnieri, Cabomba caroliniana, Ceratopteris thalictroides, and Ceratophyllum demersum are also illegal, I believe. 

I don't know about other states, but California can really only enforce this on big shipments. Inspectors do check LFS's, too. The law in Texas is harsh - you get fined PER STEM or PER PLANT. So if the fine is, say, $100 for H. polysperma, and you have 10 separate stems in your tank, that's $1000. At least this is what I've heard. 

The easiest way to get a hold of plants that are no longer permitted in the state is to join your local aquatic plants society and something as common as H. polysperma is easily acquired at any meeting. Someday we'll have "plant-easies." Plant police will be doing under-water operations to prevent the distribution of moneywort. Hybrids will be developed to create "counterfeit moneywort" and the value of the true species will suddenly skyrocket. I fear the day is coming soon... :shock: 

-Naomi


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## skinns (Apr 8, 2004)

Wow, now that is something that I never thought I would learn on here! Illegal waterplants for the aquatic gardener.


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## Corigan (Mar 15, 2004)

skinns said:


> Wow, now that is something that I never thought I would learn on here! Illegal waterplants for the aquatic gardener.


Heh, Hygro Polysperma is Illegal in Georgia and most of the southern states last time we had this conversation..  The government used to issue licenses to places to be allowed to grow and sell H. Polysperma. They aren't renewing any of the licenses and basically are phasing out the buying/growing of Tropic Sunset in the LFS'.

Matt


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## plantbrain (Jan 23, 2004)

Well the agencies should not allow any growers and sellers to sell these weeds. Hobbyiost possession is not really the issue, growers that want to sell weeds as ornamentals is the problem.

We sell Hyacinth to Canada from FL, where it's an illegal noxious weed.

People start lawsuits over invasive weed eradication in rivers, these are the environmentalist!!!! 

We have few options in controlling these weeds once they get there, herbicides, copper etc are highly regulated and we have to do a lot of work to show we can kill the target weed and not hurt anything else. 

I find it ironic that they piss and bemoan about us using the Herbicides yet don't see them complaining about the weeds that are taking over entire ecosystems or going after those responsible. But we do our environmental impact studies and research well so that they are far less inclined to complain or sue us. If they let these weeds go loose, they will ruin many ecosystems, reduce water tables, clogg boating and water ways, contribute to mosquitos, kill fish and lower fish densities, lower dissolved O2 levels etc. 

I'm not pro herbicidal, they are a last resort but in many cases this is the only way to get rid of them.
Manual removal is crazy, even on a small pond.

This plant and many others have infested FL and they will never get rid of it there. All they can do is control it some.
We are trying to eradicate ALL Hydrilla here in CA. 
We do not want these getting lose here.

I've started to look into using O3 and H2O2 on large scales to rid some of these weeds. I've been a proponent of tarps to blackout the weeds, this works on smaller systems. Killing the weeds all at once can cause a lot of problems also.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## pineapple (May 4, 2004)

What plant was 'original' to North America? Take a look in your garden and 99% of what is planted there came from overseas, Asia etc.

The concept of 'original' fauna and flora is very flawed. At what point in time does one say 'original' occured? Evolution is punctuated by emergance of new species and of subsequent changes in fauna and flora. I think the means by which US authorities, be they local or national, use to try and return an ecosystem to 'original' is usually useless, most often playing into the hands of herbicide suppliers, and has other side effects which are often even more negative.

Hygrophila polysperma is just one small item in a much larger issue. Vermont uses Sonar on lakes to try and rid them of Eurasian milfoil. Very good for the supplier and maker of Sonar herbicide - but useless in the lake and seemingly does cause side effects to fauna as far as I have observed. In this case, a weed cutter or some good old fashioned work might help to rid some inlets of this plant rather than using herbicide.

The issue is: who has the knowledge and right to say what is original in terms of species. Plants, seeds, pollen travel in the air, by water, by animal activity.

There are a lot more environmental priorities to address: rural runoff poluted with lawn chemicals; domestic use of chemicals which accrue in the environment, etc.

Andrew Cribb


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## www.glass-gardens.com (Jun 3, 2004)

pineapple said:


> What plant was 'original' to North America? Take a look in your garden and 99% of what is planted there came from overseas, Asia etc.
> 
> The concept of 'original' fauna and flora is very flawed. At what point in time does one say 'original' occured? Evolution is punctuated by emergance of new species and of subsequent changes in fauna and flora. I think the means by which US authorities, be they local or national, use to try and return an ecosystem to 'original' is usually useless, most often playing into the hands of herbicide suppliers, and has other side effects which are often even more negative.
> 
> ...


When you see a thriving lake choked with some weed some schmuck threw in it, or a good bass pond speckled with goldfish, then maybe it should be a priority eh?


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## Robert Hudson (Feb 5, 2004)

Your store is reffering to Hygrophila polysperma and polysperma var sunset. It is now illegall to be grown commercialy in all 50 states and to import it or export it. This does not include other forms of Hygrophila such as difformis or corymbosa and so forth.


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## Error (Apr 16, 2004)

pineapple said:


> What plant was 'original' to North America? Take a look in your garden and 99% of what is planted there came from overseas, Asia etc.
> 
> The concept of 'original' fauna and flora is very flawed. At what point in time does one say 'original' occured? Evolution is punctuated by emergance of new species and of subsequent changes in fauna and flora. I think the means by which US authorities, be they local or national, use to try and return an ecosystem to 'original' is usually useless, most often playing into the hands of herbicide suppliers, and has other side effects which are often even more negative.
> 
> ...


M. spicatum is slowly choking out native populations of M. sibiricum and M. farwellii in Michigan. Very sad.

You can argue that this is evolution at work, but I don't think that means that a sheer disregard for the protection of native flora and fauna is warranted.


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