Eichhornia crassipes

Biological Overview

Habitat
Sunny, nutrient rich, stagnant fresh waters

Diet
Gets energy from glucose through photosynthesis

Role in Ecosystem
Natural water filter, destructive invasive producer, perennial

Behavior
Spreads rapidly blocking waterways, it reduces oxygen and sunlight in lakes and rivers

Human Impact

The water hyacinth is an invasive species. Although it is a beautiful, majestic-looking flower, their absurd population levels have gotten abundantly out of control. In South Carolina alone, humans have spent over $1.3 million dollars on removing the attractive flower. It becomes quite the nuisance in places like public waterways, the Cooper River, Marion lake, and more. This is due to the locals using them in their personal ponds, but they spread into public water bodies. As the water hyacinth population begins to grow, we will spend more and more money removing them. The money that could go to medicating fatal diseases is going to an infuriating, invasive plant.

Creative Exploration

As elegant as a ballerina,
As graceful as a dove,
But appearance can be deceiving,
I end up somewhere new and make it mine in a few,
People call it overgrowth but I don’t like to boast,
More pieces of me drift off to start their own takeover,
My flowers lure gardeners like a siren with its sailors,
Succumb to my beauty and I’ll be your jailor.

Guomeng Zhong, Emma Davis

Book 7