| Summary: | Horticulture is a major pathway of introduction of aquatic plants. Among traded aquatic plants, we found two species belonging to the genus <i>Lagarosiphon</i> Harv. (Hydrocharitaceae), native to South and Central Africa, <i>L. major</i> (Ridl.) Moss and <i>L. cordofanus</i> Casp. <i>L. major</i> is the main representative of the genus, having already been introduced via horticulture sale beyond its native range, and often becoming invasive. In contrast, <i>L. cordofanus</i> is a lesser-known congener that could be potentially sold as an alternative to <i>L. major</i>. It is relatively understudied, and has yet to be recorded in the wild outside its native range. Many factors can promote the invasiveness of an alien plant; among them, increased nutrient availability often facilitates opportunistic alien species such as <i>L. major</i>. In a horizon-scanning perspective, a manipulative experiment under controlled conditions was performed to test the response of <i>L. cordofanus</i> to different trophy levels using <i>L. major</i> as the tolerant alternative species. According to our results, the naturalization of <i>L. cordofanus</i> in temperate shallow waters does not seem likely, especially if considered in comparison to <i>L. major</i>.
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