Twisting, weaving, clambering and rising towards the light out a bivalve’s garden with names like Spatterdock and Spike rush the lakes are populated with aquatic plants.
Encountering them when we are boating or swimming we act with an annoyance declaring them all derogatorily “weeds!” Some of these aquatic plants names are combined with and do end in weed like pound weed and duck weed.
They are more than unsightly weeds they are a home and sanctuary they become part of the fry and the fray along with vegetation mazes for the hunter and hunted from the minnow to the musky.
These aquatic plants may even obscure a Nibiinaabe the water sprite from Anishinabe folklore that has come out of hiding to see what I am doing … or it’s an otter that wants to know if I’m something to worry about – study the blurry photo and you decide – it happened so fast I’m not sure what it could have been???
They are more than just weeds they have function and splendor take a closer look next time you’re on the water this is some of what you might see.
