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Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes)
Photo credit: © Kim and Forest Starr, https://flic.kr/p/DJ9ziG

Water Hyacinth

(Eichhornia crassipes)

Report this Species!

If you believe you have found this species anywhere in Pennsylvania, please report your findings to iMapInvasives by submitting an observation record.

Species at a Glance

Water hyacinth is a free-floating flowering perennial that forms dense “rafts” of plant material in the water that can cover a lake surface from shore to shore. Its beauty makes it a popular ornamental plant for ponds; however, its fast growth makes it one of the worst aquatic weeds in the world, as it can double its population in as little as six days.

Identification

Leaves: Oval, rounded, circular, or elliptical leaves are arranged in rosettes on stalks that can rise 0.9 m (3 ft) above the water’s surface. They are thick, glossy, waxy green, waterproof, and typically up to 15 cm (6 in) wide. The sides are gently incurved and often undulate, and leaf bases are heart-shaped, square, or rounded with dense veins.

 

Flowers: Multiple flowers (8-15) form in a single showy spike that can be up to 30 cm (12 in) long atop a thick stalk. Each flower in the spike has six lavender-blue petals. The uppermost petal is somewhat larger with a bright yellow, blue-bordered, central spot.

 

Fruits/Seeds: A three-celled capsule contains many seeds.

 

Stems/Roots: Spongy, inflated stems can grow up to 0.5 m (1.5 ft) long. The stems are filled with air spaces, which gives them a spongy appearance and allow them to stay afloat. Fibrous roots hang submersed beneath the floating leaves. They are dark purple to black and have a feathery appearance.

Similar Species

Water hyacinth can be confused with American spongeplant (Limnobium spongia) because of its similar looking leaves; however, American spongeplant has white roots instead of black and has slender, ridged stems instead of bulbous, inflated stems. It can also be confused with water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes), which has large ribbed leaves and doesn’t have the showy flowers characteristic of water hyacinth.

Habitat

This species grows in shallow temporary ponds, wetlands, marshes, sluggish flowing waters, lakes, reservoirs, rivers, and ditches of temperate climates. It can tolerate extremes in water level fluctuations and seasonal variations in nutrients, pH, temperatures, and toxins. It is not winter hardy and needs temperatures above 12°C (54°F) to survive.

Spread

Because of its attractive purple flowers, water hyacinth is a popular plant among ornamental pond and water garden enthusiasts. As a result, escape from water gardens as well as deliberate releases have been major modes of dispersal. Once introduced, its high growth rate has allowed it to quickly establish and spread. It reproduces both by fragmentation and by forming plantlets at the end of a shoot that grows from the base of the stem.

Distribution

Native to South America in Brazil, water hyacinth is now found in more than 50 countries on five continents. It is believed to have been introduced to the United States in 1884 for the Cotton States Exposition held in New Orleans. Because of its beauty, it was given as gifts to attendees who took it home to add to backyard ponds. By 1900 it had escaped cultivation to become a serious pest. In the Mid-Atlantic, this species is found in New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

 

Note: Distribution data for this species may have changed since the publication of the Mid-Atlantic Field Guide to Aquatic Invasive Species (2016), the source of information for this description.

Environmental Impacts

Water hyacinth forms thick mats that block waterways and limit boat traffic, swimming, fishing, and other recreational activities. In drainage and irrigation canals, it impedes flow which can result in flooding and clogged pumps. Dense mats prevent sunlight and oxygen from reaching the water column and the submerged plants below, shading out native species and reducing biodiversity.

Video
Note

Information for this species profile comes from the Mid-Atlantic Field Guide to Aquatic Invasive Species (2016).

The Pennsylvania iMapInvasives Program is a partnership of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, the Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program, and NatureServe.

Funding for Pennsylvania iMapInvasives is provided by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

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Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program, iMapInvasives partner
Great Lakes Restoration Initiative logo, iMapInvasives funding source
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