One of the more widely known water garden plants other than water lilies is the water hyacinth. It has beauty and finesse, but it also has a troubled past that could come back to haunt it. The Water Hyacinth is native to the Amazon basin area and imported into the states for use in a water garden setting. It is usually quite invasive, and if used in ponds will need to be contained in some way to keep it from taking over the garden space. Water Hyacinth is a still water plant, although it can grow in slow moving water. It isn’t recommended in a waterfall type of setting but will be fine in a pond setting.
Water Hyacinth is easily killed by water being salty or brackish or by frost or cold water temperatures. There can be contact dermatitis in people touching the plant as it contains crystals on the plant that contains alkaloids that are prickly and irritating to the skin.
How to Plant and Grow
This perennial has blue, purple, or violet blooms on plants that can be on two feet tall stems in optimal conditions. It will bloom from Spring to Summer in season. It is a floating plant, but the roots can fall to the base of the garden and many believe that they root themselves. Water Hyacinth is exceptionally fast growing and can take over if not properly maintained.
States Claiming “Noxious Weed” Status
There are some states that have the Water Hyacinth on its noxious weed list or other invasive watch list. These are the states that claim that status and how they have it stated.
- Texas – Noxious plant
- South Carolina – Plant pest, Invasive Aquatic Plant
- Alabama – Class C Noxious weed
- Arizona – A Prohibited, Regulated, and Restricted noxious weed
- California – A C list noxious weed
- Connecticut – Not banned, but potentially invasive
- Florida – Prohibited Class 1 aquatic plant
Old Folk Remedy
Back in folklore medicine, the water hyacinth has been used to ease swelling, burning, hemorrhage, and goiters. In the animal kingdom, it has been used as a tonic for the skin of horses, for irritation and inflammation. Either way, the whole plant is what has typically been used in those situations. Whether there is any validity to that remains to be seen.
Scientific Classification of Common Water Hyacinth
- Kingdom Plantae – Plants
- Subkingdom Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
- Superdivision Spermatophyta – Seed plants
- Division Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
- Class Liliopsida – Monocotyledons
- Subclass Liliidae
- Order Liliales
- Family Pontederiaceae – Water-Hyacinth family
- Genus Eichhornia Kunth – water hyacinth
- Species Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms – common water hyacinth
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