Scientific Name:
Pontederia crassipes
Pronunciation:
pon-te-DARE-ee-uh KRASS-ih-peez
Common Name:
water hyacinth, water orchid
Family Name:
Pontederiaceae
Plant Type:
Annual (grown as), Aquatic plant, Herbaceous perennial, Invasive plant
Key ID Features:
A free-floating perennial aquatic plant with feathery, free hanging roots. leaves basal, reniform to broadly ovate, 3-7(-15)cm long x 6-9(-20)cm wide, thick and glossy, each petiole has a swollen bladder for floatation that are 1-4cm wide; spike of 8-15 orchid-like flowers with six tepals, purplish-pink, Jun-Sep.
Habit:
Spreading
Form:
Creeping / Mat-like
Texture:
Medium - coarse
Mature Height:
0.2 - 0.4m
Mature Spread:
0.1 - 0.3m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
South America (Brazil)
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 9: (-7 to -1 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun
Soil/Growing Medium:
Bog
Water Use:
Aquatic, Wetlands
Landscape Uses:
Aquatic - ponds, Container planting, Summer interest, Wetland - bogs, Wildlife food
Additional Info:
Google. A highly invasive weed in warmer climates.
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Basal
Texture/Venation:
Leathery, Succulent
Surfaces:
Glabrous, Lustrous
Colour in Summer:
Dark-green
Colour in Fall:
Green-yellow
Shapes:
Ovate, Reniform
Apices:
Acute
Bases:
Sheathing
Margins:
Entire
Inflorescence Type:
Spike, Floriferous
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
3
Corolla Shape:
Rotate/stellate
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Showy, Violet, Pink
Flower Scent:
None
Flower Time at Peak:
Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
Additional Info:
6 tepals
Fruit Type:
Capsule
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Sep, Oct
Bark or Stem Colour:
n/a
Organ Modifications:
Runners (or stolons)
Propagation:
Division - above ground parts
Maintenance:
Medium
Pest Susceptibility:
(Pest resistant, Disease resistant)
