common water hyacinth

Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms

Description from Invasive.org

Appearance

Eichhornia crassipes is a free floating aquatic plant that has invaded aquatic areas throughout the eastern and southern portions of the United States. Plants can grow to 3 ft. (1 m) in height.

Foliage

The leaves are oval to elliptical, thick, up to 6 in. (15 cm) wide and waxy with spongy petioles. Leaves curve inward at the edges.

Flowers

The very showy blue-purple flowers are born on upright spikes. Each flower has six petals with the uppermost having a yellow patch.

Fruit

This plant reproduces chiefly by vegetative means.

Ecological Threat

Eichhornia crassipes invades lakes, ponds, rivers, marshes, and other types of wetland habitats. It can quickly form dense floating mats of vegetation (populations can double in size in two weeks!). These dense mats restrict light to the underwater environment, reduce the light availability for submersed plants and aquatic invertebrates, and deplete the oxygen levels. Eichhornia crassipes is native to South America and was first introduced as an ornamental into the United States in 1884 at the Cotton States Exposition in New Orleans.

Resources

• Biological Control of Invasive Plants in the Eastern United States - USDA Forest Service
• Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council Invasive Plant Manual - SE-EPPC
• Element Stewardship Abstract - The Nature Conservancy
• Global Invasive Species Database - Invasive Species Specialist Group

Selected Images from Invasive.org

View All Images at Invasive.org

Flower(s)
Wilfredo Robles, Mississippi State University, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage

Infestation
John D. Byrd, Mississippi State University, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage

Infestation
Chris Evans, University of Illinois, Bugwood.org
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Flower(s)
Wendy VanDyk Evans, , Bugwood.org
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Infestation habit
Forest and Kim Starr, Starr Environmental, Bugwood.org
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Plant(s) single plant on sidewalk
Forest and Kim Starr, Starr Environmental, Bugwood.org
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Plant(s) Dense mat of Eichornia crassipes, Water Hyacinth
Katherine Parys, USDA-ARS, Bugwood.org
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Foliage Leaves with inflated petiole
Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org
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Feature(s) Cross-section of petiole
Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org
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Management
Tony Pernas, USDI National Park Service, Bugwood.org
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Seed(s)
Steve Hurst, USDA NRCS PLANTS Database, Bugwood.org
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Infestation
Karen Brown, University of Florida, Bugwood.org
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