Used in the fabrication of many exotic furniture, water hyacinth is a tropical plant native to South America that blooms every year in the summer. Grown in freshwater, this aquatic plant is ideal to decorate ponds and provide fish with a shelter of choice. Very demanding in terms of heat, water hyacinth is not suitable for areas that are too cold.

In Asian countries such as Indonesia, the water hyacinth is a plant widely used in the making of many pieces of furniture and decorative objects. Appreciated for its ease of culture and swift propagation, the water hyacinth can rapidly become invasive when growing in the wild and not subject to any kind of maintenance. Ideal for ponds and Japanese gardens in which water holds a prominent role, water hyacinth has particularly ornamental foliage and inflorescences. However, cold regions are not conducive to its growth and even significantly hinder its beautiful summer flowering. Consequently, before choosing to grow them, it is very important to determine whether the climate of the area you live in will be appropriate for growing water hyacinth. Well-liked for its beautiful purple inflorescences tending towards lilac, this aquatic plant will unfortunately not be of any interest if it is not able to bloom.

The growing conditions of the water hyacinth

To grow and bloom from the month of June, it is essential that the water hyacinth has warmth and sunshine for the duration of its development. In addition, it is also imperative to grow the plant in fresh water so it does not wither. Hence, if you have a large enough pond in your garden that is located in a sunny area, do not hesitate to grow seedlings of water hyacinth, which will naturally, and with relative ease, propagate themselves on their own afterwards. However, make sure that the pond is deep enough to contain the roots of different plants, as it is important to grow them grouped.

Maintenance of the water hyacinth

It is important to know that the water hyacinth is naturally a very strong plant. Thus, no special care shall be granted and flowering normally occurs without any problems if the plant benefits from good growing conditions. Particularly hardy, water hyacinth is never a victim of disease or pest attack of any kind when grown in parts of Europe. However, it fears periods of intense cold that can seriously affect its growth, even causing its death in the worst cases. For that reason, do not forget to protect your beautiful aquatic plants from winter’s devastating frosts, keeping them in a place where the water is warm, until you can finally bring them out once the nice weather returns.

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Published in Aquatic plants by Alexander on 26 Jul 2011