Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
Adaptations of the Water Hyacinth
Adaptations of the Water Hyacinth. The water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is an attractive lavender-flowered floating plant considered an invasive nuisance in the world's fresh waterways. It jams rivers and lakes with floating matter that can weigh up to 200 tons per acre, according to the University of Florida Extension. The water hyacinth was...
The water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is an attractive lavender-flowered floating plant considered an invasive nuisance in the world's fresh waterways. It jams rivers and lakes with floating matter that can weigh up to 200 tons per acre, according to the University of Florida Extension. The water hyacinth was introduced to the United States from Brazil in 1884, and its adaptations have caused it to rapidly spread throughout the southeastern states as well as California, Washington state, Hawaii and the Virgin Islands.
Fast Growth
One reason the water hyacinth has taken hold so strongly is its rapid growth habit. According to the University of Florida Extension, its populations can double in six days, making its growth faster than any other tested plant. Once introduced to fresh water, this perennial reproduces rapidly and can cover an acre in one growing season.
Reproduction
The water hyacinth reproduces both vegetatively and sexually in all types of fresh water. The new plants, called rosettes, are formed on the floating stolons of the mother plant. As the plant grows into ever-enlarging, thick mats, water flow is diminished, boating and fishing become impossible, and the waterway's biodiversity is greatly reduced, according to the University of Florida Extension.
Flowers
The water hyacinth was introduced to the United States at an exposition in New Orleans. Its ornamental qualities, including 2- to 3-inch lavender flowers, rounded, leathery leaves and thick, spongy stalks, quickly landed it on the shelves of nurseries. Homeowners purchased it for their ornamental ponds, and it made its way into fresh waterways. The State of Washington Department of Ecology recommends disposing of ornamental water hyacinth in compost heaps and keeping it away from fresh waterways.
