| waterhyacinth | USDA PLANTS Symbol: EICR U.S. Nativity: Exotic Habit: Aquatic |
| Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms |
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Taxonomic Rank: Liliopsida: Liliales: Pontederiaceae |
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| Synonym(s): floating water hyacinth | |
| Native Range: So. Amer. (GRIN); | |
Waterhyacinth 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. 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. The very showy blue-purple flowers are born on upright spikes. Each flower has six petals with the uppermost having a yellow patch. Waterhyacinth invades lakes, ponds, rivers, marshes, and other types of wetland habitats. It reproduces chiefly by vegetative means and 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. Waterhyacinth 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. |
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Identification, Biology, Control and Management Resources
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| Selected Images from Invasive.org | View All Images at Invasive.org |
 Infestation; John D. Byrd, Mississippi State University, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Infestation; Chris Evans, Illinois Wildlife Action Plan, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Flower(s); Wilfredo Robles, Mississippi State University, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Flower(s); Wendy VanDyk Evans, , Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Infestation; habit Forest & Kim Starr, Starr Environmental, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Plant(s); single plant on sidewalk Forest & Kim Starr, Starr Environmental, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Plant(s); Dense mat of Eichornia crassipes, Water Hyacinth Katherine Parys, USDA-ARS, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Foliage; Leaves with inflated petiole Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Feature(s); Cross-section of petiole Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Management; Tony Pernas, USDI National Park Service, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Seed(s); Steve Hurst, USDA NRCS PLANTS Database, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Infestation; Karen Brown, University of Florida, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
| EDDMapS Distribution: This map is incomplete and is based only on current site and county level reports made by experts and records obtained from USDA Plants Database. For more information, visit www.eddmaps.org Alternative content
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 State(s) Where Reported invasive. Based on state level agency and organization lists of invasive plants from WeedUS database. Alternative content
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