Ornatec InternationalSpecies reference sheet ยท ornatecinternational.com
Eichhornia crassipes
Water Hyacinth
The Eichhornia crassipes, or Water Hyacinth, is a free-floating aquatic perennial from the Amazon basin. Rounded glossy leaves sit on inflated spongy stalks that work as floats, and the plant sends up short spikes of showy lavender-blue flowers, each marked with a yellow blotch on the upper petal.
It is one of the fastest-multiplying plants in cultivation. Specify it only for fully contained water features, and confirm the destination's import position before it is scheduled, because many countries prohibit it outright.
Specifications
- Height0.2 to 0.5 metres above the water surface
- Width0.3 to 0.5 metres per rosette, spreading rapidly into floating colonies
- Native toThe Amazon basin of tropical South America
- FoliageRounded glossy green leaves on inflated spongy petioles that act as floats; evergreen
- Growth rateFast
Conditions
- SoilNone required; the plant floats freely on still or slow-moving fresh water
- LightFull sun
- WaterRequires permanent fresh water; does not tolerate salinity or drying out
- ClimateThrives in tropical and subtropical regions
Additional Features
- FlowersShort spikes of lavender-blue flowers with a yellow blotch on the upper petal
- UsesSuited to contained ornamental ponds and tanks, and to engineered nutrient-stripping systems
- SpacingIntroduce a small number of rosettes; the colony closes a surface within weeks
- Low MaintenanceRequires active thinning rather than neglect; the mat must be pulled back regularly to keep the water surface open
- Pest ResistanceGenerally trouble-free
- Environmental BenefitsTakes up nitrogen and phosphorus rapidly and is used in engineered wastewater treatment
Water Hyacinth is a striking floating plant that belongs only in water bodies with no outlet to a natural system.
Availability by project review. Sizes, quantities, origin and export readiness are confirmed after your plant schedule is reviewed against destination, timing and quarantine requirements. MEWA certified for supply into Saudi Arabia; Australian Export Registered Establishment.
Enquiries: sales@ornatecinternational.com
310 Donkin Rd, Utchee Creek QLD 4871, Australia
Prepared 08 September 2026