History

Water hyacinth is native to South American, arriving in Florida in the 1880s.

Biology

The free-floating plant grows up to three feet in height with thick, waxy, rounded, glossy leaves, rising above the water surface on bulbous and spongy stalks up to 20 inches long. Water hyacinth reproduces by way of short runner stems (stolons) radiating from the base of the plant, and will reproduce by seed.

Ecology

Water hyacinth damages water quality by blocking sunlight and oxygen and slowing the water's flow. Capable of doubling within a few weeks, it can grow faster than any other plant. By choking out other vegetation, areas are rendered unusable for native plants and animals.

Impact

Uncontrolled, water hyacinth robs water from potential drinking and irrigation supplies. The mats can block boat travel. Chunks of mat can break free to clog downstream pump stations supplying water for drinking, irrigation, and hydropower. In the United States, it flourishes in hundreds of bodies of water in Hawaii and California and throughout the South from Texas to the Carolinas.

Control

Eradication efforts are underway and include dredging and using geese for hyacinth control (http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/PS023).

References on the Web:

Agricultural Research Service

Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants

Florida Cooperative Extension Service

Invasivespecies.gov

Global Invasive Species Database

National Geographic