By the early 1960s, it spanned more than 120,000 acres of public lakes and navigable rivers. The floating plant was introduced to Florida in the 1880s, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission . Some plants look too pretty to cause trouble. Water hyacinth is a good example. That’s a lot of water going to one plant. Here’s how a garden favorite became a long-standing problem.
Army Corps of Engineers has reduced the plant to about 2,000 acres statewide.
Harsh substances, including arsenic and sulfuric acid, were used in early attempts to clear it, says the university publication. The commission says intensive management coordinated by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Some worked, but were toxic to cattle that grazed treated plants. Hand removal of plants was expensive and ineffective as the plants grew faster than they could be harvested. That was the only tool until the discovery of synthetic herbicides in the 1940s. The publication adds that the St. Johns stayed clogged for decades and was brought under control only after those herbicides arrived. In Florida, it is illegal to have them without a special permit.
Therefore, as you plan on getting your plant, ensure that it’s not an invasive species where you live.
The best way to manage water hyacinth is by preventing it from getting into our waterways, according to the UF/IFAS extension publication. This story sends out a warning to everyone who loves good plants. No matter how beautiful, a plant that finds its way into waterways will affect the environment adversely. it is still occasionally sold at farmers’ markets, aquarium and nursery shops, and online sources in other states While illegal in Florida. And never dump the unwanted plants into a lake or river. You never know what a simple toss can turn into.
