apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time


Good Questions: What Is This Plant?

8-11-plant.jpgHello AT,

A month ago, a friend gave me a plant from his big pond to put in my
little pond. It promptly grew into many plants. They're so beautiful
and sculptural I couldn't throw the surplus away. I brought three
inside and set them in a yet smaller pond--a punchbowl of water on my kitchen table. I know they're a fairly common aquatic plant, but I don't know what kind. Can anyone tell me, please?

Thanks. Aulaire

(Note: Include a pic of your problem and your question gets posted first.
Email questions and pics with QUESTIONS in subject line to:
editor(at)apartmenttherapy(dot)com)
Link To All Good Questions
 
 

Anyone???

Tags

Good Questions

Related Links

Share

Comments (20)

Possibly a type of water hyacinth.
??

posted by daniele on August 10th 2007 at 11:11am
view daniele's profile

Yes, water hyacinth, and whatEVER you do, do not put any excess out in natural ponds.

It is a HIGHLY invasive exotic, and chokes out everything in its wake... including, given its proclivity for ultra-dense growth, the fish below the surface.

Sorry to rain on the lily pad. But these things are a menace to wherever they are introduced.

posted by patrick (the other one) on August 10th 2007 at 11:14am
view patrick (the other one)'s profile

Yep. It's water hyacinth.

posted by Doug on August 10th 2007 at 11:16am
view Doug's profile

It's one of the reasons you see so much water hyacinth furniture around... and it's one of the ways the Far East is combatting the invasion, harvesting it as fast as humanly possible!

posted by patrick (the other one) on August 10th 2007 at 11:20am
view patrick (the other one)'s profile

Yup, definitely a water hyacinth! They have beautiful flowers!

As for invasive, they are subtropical (Egypt), so I am not so sure. No matter, exotics should not be introduced to the environment.

posted by michael d bailey on August 10th 2007 at 11:29am
view michael d bailey's profile

lol Funny bit, in Mexico the tinier version is called "Julieta" and the bigger, it's "Romeo". They're the easiest plant to take care of (draw with "lucky bamboo") since all they really need is water. They're really pretty, specially when they start climbing up EVERYTHING. It's the least expensive plant I could think of as well, because you can make 1000000000000000s out of just one. It's the "Lack Shelf" of plants, I guess.

posted by Djluckyonline on August 10th 2007 at 11:53am
view Djluckyonline's profile

The water hyacinth is an invasive exotic native to South America. Per the USDA:

http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/aquatics/waterhyacinth.shtml

posted by NathanSE on August 10th 2007 at 1:20pm
view NathanSE's profile

How about that? They seem to be native to many regions! I know that they are on the nile (my friend took photos, cause we have them in our pond), and they are native to S. America and Asia!

One very successful plant!

posted by michael d bailey on August 10th 2007 at 2:19pm
view michael d bailey's profile

Djluckyonline--

"The 'Lack Shelf' of plants." Too funny.

posted by brittanykate on August 10th 2007 at 5:11pm
view brittanykate's profile

I always thought the Pothos was the Lack Shelf of plants.

posted by charlenemcbride on August 10th 2007 at 6:38pm
view charlenemcbride's profile

*psh* - *snort* - took me long enough to see that - 'Lack Shelf' of plants. (I guess I'm.. proud to say I donated my lack shelves to Salvation Army?)

But the Pothos remain, I say!

The water hyacinths are beautiful, though, isn't it ironic?

And furniture out of it. Now that's resourceful.

posted by moonbeam on August 10th 2007 at 8:10pm
view moonbeam's profile

Hee hee, the Lack Shelf of plants! I think they're more sort of a plant femme fatale - gorgeous and uncontrollable, the Mae West of the plant world!

posted by tin_angel on August 11th 2007 at 5:44am
view tin_angel's profile

This is one thing I love about AT--you ask a simple question and end up with yes, your answer, but also info you couldn't have dreamed of. Thanks, NathanSE for the terrific link. I'd been looking for a good info source for native plants, among other things on that site. And WATER HYACINTH FURNITURE? C'mon! At first I thought it was a joke I didn't get, but there's gorgeous water hyacinth furniture out there. Thank you, P.t.O.O!

I promise to make ottomans out of my plants, and never to put them in natural bodies of water. . . .

posted by Aulaire on August 12th 2007 at 2:29am
view Aulaire's profile

Be sure to post an "after" picture... when the water hyacintch has completely covered your table top. ;)

posted by patrick (the other one) on August 12th 2007 at 7:50am
view patrick (the other one)'s profile

it's called 水葫芦(water calabash)in china,the flowers smell like watermelon.

posted by chuba on August 12th 2007 at 6:21pm
view chuba's profile

I think it is quite beautiful. It is also a native to Cambodia. I am not sure if they are also edible.

posted by scydream on August 12th 2007 at 7:32pm
view scydream's profile

Manatees love 'em.

posted by patrick (the other one) on August 12th 2007 at 7:57pm
view patrick (the other one)'s profile

I mentioned the bit about the manatees at dinner last night, and a reverent silence acknowledged my wisdom. Thank you.

posted by Aulaire on August 13th 2007 at 1:55am
view Aulaire's profile

A few years ago I heard this story. My friend had too much
of this plant(lol) and offered it up in a local paper saying she
would love to trade it for some other plant. A few days later
two representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency
showed up at her door and warned her not to trade, give away or do anything to promote the spread of this plant and
told her it was illegal to do so. She was totally shocked because she had no idea.

posted by Dianedvg on August 13th 2007 at 4:57am
view Dianedvg's profile

er, I want one

There's no body of water nearby for it to invade, so we're safe. I would like it to produce furniture, but just being a little green in a dish on the coffee table would be nice too.
(I can't stand that lucky bamboo stuff)
How much light does it need?

posted by guido on August 17th 2007 at 6:47am
view guido's profile

Feeds

RSS icon New York

+ City Feeds