WATER HYACINTH (Eichhornia crassipes)

Anchored Water Hyacinth Flower

Anchored Water Hyacinth

Hyacinth Flower

WATER HYACINTH IDENTIFICATION:

Water Hyacinth can grow in height to as much as 1 meter above the surface of the water. It is supported by an erect stalk that has a single spike of 8-15 flowers. The flowers are usually lavender and pink in color and have six petals.Water hyacinth has no known direct food value for wildlife and is therefore considered a pest species. However, the hanging roots are often inhabited by invertebrates, which are in turn eaten by other aquatic species (amphibians, reptiles, etc).

• free-floating, robust plant grows up to three feet off the water’s surface
• shiny green leaves are round to oval, four to eight inches in diameter, with gently incurved sides
• leaf veins are dense and numerous so leaves stand erect
• stalks are bulbous and spongy, and help keep the plant buoyant
• flowers have six petals, purplish blue or lavender with yellow

• Round or oval shiny green leaves, 3 to 8 in. across; buoyant bulbs at base of leaf stalk.
• Pale blue, purple to whitish flower with 6 petals.