Skaneateles Conservation Area/Invasive species/Hydrocharitaceae

The genus Hydrilla is usually considered to contain the single species Hydrilla verticillata, which is commonly known simply as hydrilla or occasionally water-thyme. It's a Eurasian aquatic plant commonly used in aquariums and was probably first released in North America in the 1950s but not found in New York State until 2008, when it was discovered in Orange and Suffolk Counties.

More recently, hydrilla has been discovered in and around Cayuga Lake, Tonawanda Creek near Buffalo, Susquehanna River near Binghamton and elsewhere. By 2021, iMapInvasives showed hydrilla in at least 12 New York counties. Hydrilla is included in the Skaneateles Conservation Area (SCA) management plan due to its Very High New York State invasiveness rank, its placement in Finger Lakes Tier 3 and the proximity of its nearest observations: The SCA is less than 20 miles from Cayuga Lake, where hydrilla has been reported.