Water Hyacinth

Product Details
Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) – Live Aquatic Plant 💦🌿

🪴 Ship Size: 1 Gallon Pot
Plant Description:
🌱 Looking to enhance your pond or water feature with beauty and practical benefits? Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is a fast-growing floating aquatic plant that ships in a 1-gallon pot. It forms lush mats of glossy leaves and produces elegant lavender-blue flower spikes above the surface — a true standout for any water garden.

Key Information:
🌞 Light: Thrives in full sun; tolerates partial shade.
💧 Watering: Floats freely on water — no soil needed. Keep roots submerged at all times.
📏 Mature Size: 6–12 inches tall; spreads freely across water surfaces.
🌼 Flower Power: Delicate lavender flowers bloom above the water, attracting pollinators and adding vibrant color to ponds.
🌍 Growing Zones: Hardy in zones 9–11; grow as an annual in colder climates or overwinter indoors in a water-filled container.
🌡️ Cold Hardiness: Cannot survive freezing; dies back at ~32 °F.

Flavor Profile: Not edible for humans, but a valuable resource for homestead animals.

Culinary Uses & Applications:
🚫 Not for human consumption.
🐥 Homestead Fodder: Water Hyacinth is prized on homesteads as a renewable, protein-rich fodder for ducks, chickens, rabbits, goats, and pigs. Its fresh leaves contain about 15–21% crude protein — similar to wheat bran — making it a useful supplemental feed when harvested responsibly and balanced with other forage.

Medicinal Uses & Applications:
🌱 Not commonly used as an herbal remedy today, but highly valued for practical uses: its fibrous stems can be woven into natural crafts and baskets, or added to compost to boost organic matter and soil health. It also acts as a natural water filter, helping to remove excess nutrients, shade out algae, and oxygenate pond water — creating a healthier habitat for fish and other aquatic life.

🌱 Growth Habits: A free-floating perennial with thick, buoyant leaf stalks and feathery roots that dangle in the water. Grows vigorously in warm, sunny ponds — forming a living mat that provides shade, shelter, and natural pond balance.

🌿 Care: Simply place it on your pond’s surface — no planting needed. Thin and harvest regularly to prevent overcrowding and maintain water flow and oxygen levels. Never allow to escape into natural waterways.

🌍 Origin Stories and Historical Uses: Native to the Amazon Basin, Water Hyacinth is famous for its beauty, fast growth, and multiple uses. In managed ponds, it’s loved for its lush appearance, practical value as homestead fodder, natural fiber source, compost booster, and pond oxygenator.

⛔ Root Warning: Invasive if unmanaged — never release into wild lakes, streams, or rivers.
⚠️ Poisonous Parts: Non-toxic to humans and animals; safe for fish and pond life when responsibly managed.