Help ID this pond plant

piksi_hk

16 years ago

I neighbor gave this to me. I don't have a pond at the moment... please help ID it. Thanks.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:181201}}

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Comments (7)

txgdnr
16 years ago
Hello,
You have a Water Hyacinth.
Dianne
sheepco
16 years ago
Yup... WH as we call them here. Invasive in many (if not most) southern states, so be very careful to keep it at home. Wonderful for their ability to filter water through their root system, propigates through shoots sent out from the plant, easy to grow. Tropical, won't overwinter in lower temps, and hard to keep thriving even in an aquarium indoors. Fish like to nibble on the roots, koi apparently more so than goldfish, they've been known to strip the roots off a healthy WH and leave it for dead. Some ponders will save those by tossin' 'em in a bucket with fertilizer and then back to the pond after a time. Great plant to share with us 'northerners' once you get so many you're tossing them in the compost!! :)
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maryo_nh
16 years ago
And we're almost at the 'tossing them in the compost' stage...

piksi, they bloom with beautiful light purple flowers that look somewhat like hyacinths. But bigger individual flowers. They thrive in warm weather, and can completely clog up the inlets of water-using utilities. That's why it's banned in most southern states.

:) Mary
tisha_
16 years ago
Hey! I have 3 of these in our new pond (came with the new house... we're newbies all around!)

I love them. What can I do to keep them over winter? (I'm in Central Oklahoma) I also have a small indoor "pond" in my sunroom. Any chance they'd survive in there overwinter?

BTW, here's a pic of the outdoor and indoor ponds.

The WH's are WAY bigger now than they are in this photo (it was taken about 3 months ago)
{{gwi:64524}}

And here is what I'm calling the indoor "pond" it doesn't have a filter yet, but has a working waterfall. It will have a filter soon. (Those are fake plants)
{{gwi:64518}}
nkm56
16 years ago
I'm in Oklahoma too. Most people don't have any luck overwintering hyacinth, but most of us don't have an indoor pond, either. You could give it a try just to see what happens. My hyacinth completely took over, along with the water lettuce, so I don't think I'll be getting any next year. I sure like the looks of you indoor pond. Are you planning to put in some goldies?
maryo_nh
16 years ago
Hi Tisha and Nancy! I live in Southern New Hampshire, and have tried to keep WH over the winter for three years now - with no success. But my friend down the road is always able to keep a few. I think the difference is, she has her lights hanging right above the plants, and I have mine a few feet up.
It probably costs more to overwinter them than to order a fresh dozen from e-Bay in spring. But it's fun to try. And we have lots of tropicals to overwinter anyway.

{{gwi:181214}}

:) Mary
sheepco
16 years ago
Oh Mary, I want that!

But I can just see Emma in there with just her head sticking out between WH and the window :(

Gives me ideas other than a kiddie pool on the floor though, got any more pictures?

Sorry if I haven't been paying attention, BUT: Do you do water changes? Do you have filteration? Circulating H2O? I'd be most interested in over-wintering plants, no fish), but would 1 (or 2 help) control algae, bugs. Is that a southern exposure? Lights on 24/7 or just during the day.

So many questions, but you have just inspired me, I would LOVE to have an indoor pond during our long winter!