Name
Water Hyacinth
Latin Name
Eichhornia crassipes
Description
The Water Hyacinth is an aquatic plant with fleshy green leaves and a swollen petiole. The flowers are mauve in colour. The Water Hyacinth is a rampant invasive alien from Tropical America which smothers water surfaces.
Habitat
The Water Hyacinth occurs in any body of water that it has been introduced to and today it has spread across Africa.
Field Notes
The Water Hyacinth is quite easily the most damaging water invader in South Africa. First introduced into the Cape area in the early years of the 1900’s the plant has spread aggressively, choking waterways of nutrients and life forms wherever it grows. Many methods have been tried to bring the weed under control, mostly with little rewards.
