Hello 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
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Possibly a type of water hyacinth.
??
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.
view patrick (the other one)'s profile
Yep. It's water hyacinth.
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!
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.
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.
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
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!
view michael d bailey's profile
Djluckyonline--
"The 'Lack Shelf' of plants." Too funny.
view brittanykate's profile
I always thought the Pothos was the Lack Shelf of plants.
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.
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!
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. . . .
view Aulaire's profile
Be sure to post an "after" picture... when the water hyacintch has completely covered your table top. ;)
view patrick (the other one)'s profile
it's called 水葫芦（water calabash）in china，the flowers smell like watermelon.
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.
view scydream's profile
Manatees love 'em.
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.
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.
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?
view guido's profile