# common water hyacinth (*Pontederia crassipes*) The common water hyacinth is a beautiful floating plant with large, purple flowers. It grows on water and can make ponds look like a magical garden! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 5 - **Habitat:** Wetlands - **Also known as:** Floating Water Plant ![common water hyacinth](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/FLOR_da_%C3%81GUA_-_FLOWER_WATER_-_panoramio.jpg&width=800) Photo: Ivandro batista de q…, CC BY 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:FLOR_da_%C3%81GUA_-_FLOWER_WATER_-_panoramio.jpg) ## Appearance The common water hyacinth has glossy, rounded green leaves that float on the water's surface, supported by bulbous, air-filled petioles. Its striking purple-blue flowers feature six petals, with one larger petal displaying a prominent yellow spot, making it easily distinguishable. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Liliopsida - **Order:** Commelinales - **Family:** Pontederiaceae - **Genus:** Pontederia ## Interesting facts - A single plant can produce thousands of seeds in a year. - It's one of the fastest-growing plants on Earth! - Its roots can grow up to 60 cm long underwater. - Water hyacinth can double its population size in just two weeks! ## Special abilities - **Floating Power:** Common water hyacinth has bulbous, air-filled petioles that keep its leaves and flowers afloat, allowing it to thrive on water surfaces. - **Super Spreader:** Common water hyacinth can reproduce both by seeds and stolons, quickly forming dense mats that cover vast areas. - **Water Purifier:** Common water hyacinth can absorb heavy metals and pollutants from the water through its roots, acting as a natural filter. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 10-100 cm - **Spread:** 20-60 cm - **Flower Size:** 3-5 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring to fall - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** water hyacinth weevil (*Neochetina eichhorniae*) — Larvae and adults feed on plant tissue. - **Eaten by:** water hyacinth weevil (*Neochetina bruchi*) — Larvae and adults feed on plant tissue. - **Eaten by:** Nile Tilapia (*Tilapia nilotica*) — Browses on young plants and roots. ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Ornamental](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ornamental): Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form. - [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished. - [Broadleaf Tree](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/broadleaf-tree): Broadleaf trees are angiosperms characterized by flat, wide leaves that are typically shed annually in temperate climates. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Rapid Growing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rapid-growing): Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. - [Invasive](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/invasive): Invasive species are non-native organisms that cause harm to the environment, economy, or human health. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Do not touch or pull plants without adult supervision, as some may have sharp edges. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify common water hyacinth? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is common water hyacinth? 10-100 cm ### How wide does common water hyacinth spread? 20-60 cm ### How big are the flowers on common water hyacinth? 3-5 cm ### When does common water hyacinth bloom? Spring to fall ### Is common water hyacinth edible? No ### Is common water hyacinth toxic? None ### What is common water hyacinth's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Alabama City Wall Street Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/alabama-city-wall-street-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District - [Gadsden Downtown Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/gadsden-downtown-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District - [Lock and Dam No. 12](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lock-and-dam-no-12) — Iowa, US · Historic Site - [Georgia Avenue-Butler Avenue Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/georgia-avenue-butler-avenue-historic-district) — South Carolina, US · Historic District - [Locke](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/locke) — California, US · Historic District - [Main–Yankee Street Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/main-yankee-street-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District [View all places to see common water hyacinth](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/common-water-hyacinth) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Common Water Hyacinth: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-water-hyacinth)