Water Hyacinth is a fast-growing aquatic plant native to South America. It's highly invasive when transplanted from its natural environment, and it's caused environmental damage in North America and Australia. There are benefits to the plant as well. In some countries with large water hyacinth populations, the leaves are being harvested, dried, and woven into furniture. Click below for more...
The plant is easily renewable, flexible but strong, and often needs to be harvested to prevent it from overtaking waterways...all good reasons to use it for furniture-making. Countries that export a lot of water hyacinth furniture include Thailand, Vietnam, and Bali. A few examples of how this material is used in contemporary furniture:
• Top: Da Bench, $950 at 2B Mod
• Water Hyacinth Chair, $415 at Sueno Studio
• Water Hyacinth Storage Baskets, $14.99 - $24.99 at World Market
• Boonky Chair, $1,750 at 2B Mod
• Water Hyacinth Floor Cushions and Pillows, $24-$79 at West Elm
• Henry Love Seat at Spirit House Imports
• Round Stool with Drawer, $385 at STL Loft Style
• Aloha Chair at PIE Project Import Export
• Basket Top Coffee Table, $469 at Viva Terra
• Water Hyacinth Chaise at Century Furniture
• Barello Chair, $1,200 at 2B Mod
Note: Water Hyacinth is listed on the USDA's Invasive Species roster. In the US, it quickly forms floating, interlocking colonies that can obstruct water flows, kill fish, and overtake native species, so avoid growing it here. (If you have an indoor water hyacinth, compost the excess clippings and don't introduce them into natural bodies of water.)
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Thank you for including all of the information about how harmful water hyacinth is in the U.S. I've seen (and read) several things boasting it has a natural fiber (insunuating it is a more green material) or recommending the plant as an interesting center piece and neglecting to add that it is a horrible noxious weed that chokes waterways and displaces all native vegetation.
of course, i guess the same can hold true for bamboo. From it's native environments it should be harvested as a green building material, in the U.S. it is know to escape and grow dense monoculture stands.
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