American Lotus Control: How To Get Rid of American Lotus

This page is a general American lotus control guide. Using the products and methods suggested, you will get control of the American lotus. Follow this guide and use the recommended products; we guarantee 100% control of American lotus.

If you've been to a local lake or pond to fish or swim with your family, you may have noticed, during some parts of the year, an aquatic plant floating on the surface of the water that appears to be a Water Lily. They may have a stem and a large, pretty flower that's usually yellowish-white.

This aquatic plant is the American lotus, and while it can be nice to look at, it can grow out of control on a lake or pond and be a source of irritation, getting in the way of those wanting to fish or take a dip in the water and swim.

If you have an American lotus problem on your aquatic property, this step-by-step DIY guide can help you with effective aquatic herbicides and helpful how-to advice from experts.

Identification

Before proceeding with a treatment program, you must be sure you are dealing with an American lotus infestation. Careless identification can lead to using the wrong treatment methods, which can waste time and money. Below are the characteristics that will help you understand what an American lotus looks like.

• The American Lotus is a perennial plant aquatic plant that is emergent, meaning that the plant sticks out above the water surface. Its leaves are open and round, ranging between 1 to 3 feet wide and are attached to a stem. They have rhizomes which slender, branched, and rooted in mud.
• When floating in the water, the American lotus lays flat, but when they are emergent, they are cone-shaped. If left alone, the American Lotus can form large colonies and spread through the body of water where they reside either via seeds or their large fleshy rhizomes. When flowering, the American Lotus grows a large pale yellow flower usually containing 20 petals with a cone-shaped seed pod in the flower center.
• These weeds can be hard to control without the proper product. Attempting to remove them by hand can be a difficult chore that will largely be ineffective because oftentimes the rhizomes will be left behind in the water. This eventually leads to new weeds sprouting and re-establishing themselves aggressively before long.

This description and image will help you identify whether the weed growing in your pond is an American lotus. If you are having trouble identifying the plant, contact us, and we will do our best to determine the weed you have and offer control suggestions.

Inspection

Once you have correctly identified the American lotus, you need to inspect it before carrying out any chemical control treatments. It would be best to see where it is concentrated and how severe an invasion it is.

Where to Look

Walk around your lake or pond and determine how big of an American Lotus problem you have. American lotus typically emerges in still or slow-moving waters or the quiet waters of ponds in eastern, central, and southern Texas and most of the eastern USA during the warmer summer months between May and July.

What to Look For

If you have an American lotus on your pond, it's hard to miss it. Look for the large yellow flower that blooms when mature or its large romaine-lettuce-looking leaves attached to a stem.

Treatment

Before handling any chemicals, it is vital to put on the proper personal protective equipment (PPE) for safety (gloves, glasses, mask).

Our top recommended product to treat American Lotus is 2,4-D Amine Selective Post-Emergent Herbicide. This product has a great track record in killing American lotus and can also control many aquatic and land weeds.

Step 1: Mix and Apply 2,4-D Amine Selective Post-Emergent Herbicide

Determine how much 2,4-D Amine Selective Post-Emergent Herbicide you need by measuring your pond. For aquatic applications, you will need to calculate the surface area by measuring (in feet) the area length and width and multiplying the two values (length x width = surface area). You should also calculate the volume of your pond or water body by measuring and multiply length x width x depth.

For surface applications to ponds, the application rate is 2 to 4 quarts of 2,4-D Amine Selective Post-Emergent Herbicide per 100-400 gallons of water per acre. Do not exceed 8.42 pints per surface acre per use season. 

Fill your sprayer halfway with water and add the appropriate amount of 2,4-D Amine Selective Post-Emergent Herbicide. Pour the remaining half of the water into the spray tank and shake until the solution is evenly mixed. 

Using a backpack sprayer or hand-pump sprayer, apply the mixed solution to your pond or lake during ideal temperatures (when water temperatures are about 50 degrees Fahrenheit, but not more than 90 degrees Fahrenheit during summer or fall months). Use a fan spray nozzle to ensure an even coating on the water surface so it thoroughly covers the American Lotus.

Step 2: Follow Up Application

If the pond or lake is heavily infested with American lotus, it may be necessary to treat the pond or lake in sections and let each section decompose for about 21 days before treating another. American Lotus can be a recurring problem, so monitoring your water is key, and repeated application is vital.

Prevention

Once American lotus has been eliminated from your property, you must implement preventative measures to ensure it does not return.

• To keep American lotus from returning on your pond, we recommend applying Vision Pond Dye. Vision Pond Dye hinders plant development by blocking sunlight into the water and also gives your pond a clean blue color. Measure the appropriate amount of Vision Pond Dye into a bucket based on your pond area measurement findings. The label recommends applying at a rate of 1 quart per 1 surface acre of water at a 5-foot average depth. Pour the pond dye over the edge directly into the body of water and the water's natural movement will disperse the dye.

Key Takeaways

What is American Lotus?

• American lotus is an emergent aquatic weed known for hindering water recreation in ponds and lakes.

How to Get Rid of American Lotus

• Applications of 2,4-D Amine Selective Post-Emergent Herbicide has proven to work best against American lotus and will kill growths quickly.

Prevent American Lotus Reinfestation

• Applying Vision Pond Dye after an herbicide application is a great preventative measure that prevents American lotus growth and improves the look of your pond.