Exotic Introduced from tropical America, the water hyacinth has spread quickly throughout wetland areas and is now a category 1 invasive plant species as listed on the Florida State List of Invasive Species. Category 1 invasive exotics alter native plant communities by displacing native species. Round hyacinth leaves sit on top of spongy, air filled stalks. Usually seen floating in streams and marshes, sometimes digging its roots into the mud, hyacinths spread via runners and clog waterways. Flowers spring – fall.

Latin Name: Eichhornia Crassipes

Habitat: Swamp, Marsh, River

Species Alert! Invasive