Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes)
A tropical water plant, native to the Amazon but introduced to other regions of the world. It is often sold by pond suppliers and is used in residential ponds and water gardens. Each spring we buy 6 plants and put them in the upper level of our pond, where the long fibrous roots filter contaminants from the water, while the mass of floating plants provides shelter for fish and frogs. Within a few days the plants have spread, covering about half of the surface of the upper pond. Because these plants float, rather than root to s surface, we have a barrier installed which keeps them confined to the upper pond. Every two weeks we then thin them out and add the plants to the compost pile.
From Wikipedia: Water hyacinth is a free-floating perennial aquatic plant (or hydrophyte) native to tropical and sub-tropical South America. With broad, thick, glossy, ovate leaves, water hyacinth may rise above the surface of the water as much as 1 meter (3 feet) in height. The leaves are 10–20 cm (4–8 inches) across on a stem which is floating by means of buoyant bulb-like nodules at its base above the water surface. They have long, spongy and bulbous stalks. The feathery, freely hanging roots are purple-black. An erect stalk supports a single spike of 8–15 conspicuously attractive flowers, mostly lavender to pink in colour with six petals.
Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes)
A tropical water plant, native to the Amazon but introduced to other regions of the world. It is often sold by pond suppliers and is used in residential ponds and water gardens. Each spring we buy 6 plants and put them in the upper level of our pond, where the long fibrous roots filter contaminants from the water, while the mass of floating plants provides shelter for fish and frogs. Within a few days the plants have spread, covering about half of the surface of the upper pond. Because these plants float, rather than root to s surface, we have a barrier installed which keeps them confined to the upper pond. Every two weeks we then thin them out and add the plants to the compost pile.
From Wikipedia: Water hyacinth is a free-floating perennial aquatic plant (or hydrophyte) native to tropical and sub-tropical South America. With broad, thick, glossy, ovate leaves, water hyacinth may rise above the surface of the water as much as 1 meter (3 feet) in height. The leaves are 10–20 cm (4–8 inches) across on a stem which is floating by means of buoyant bulb-like nodules at its base above the water surface. They have long, spongy and bulbous stalks. The feathery, freely hanging roots are purple-black. An erect stalk supports a single spike of 8–15 conspicuously attractive flowers, mostly lavender to pink in colour with six petals.