Water Hyacinth

The water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is an attractive aquatic plant from the Amazon. It was introduced to the Hawaiian Islands in the late 1800s. It has many attractive properties in addition to the showy purple flowers. The dense root structure can be used to filter and purify water. The fast growth rate makes it an abundant source of compost. It is edible and rich in carotene. It also has a multitude of medicinal uses.

The danger of the water hyacinth is that it is a fast growing plant that can quickly take over slow moving bodies of water. It can double in mass in a week and is difficult to remove once established. It can grow and spread from broken pieces, or by seeds that remain viable for up to 20 years. It is considered one of the worst invasive species of aquatic plant worldwide.

It has become naturalized in the Hawaiian Islands and populations have been found on Kaua‘i, O‘ahu, Maui and Hawai‘i islands. Plants have been successfully removed when found in open bodies of water where there is potential for uncontrolled spreading. It’s important to be constantly vigilant and not let these plants out into the wild.