A Water Hyacinth is a free-floating perennial aquatic plant (or hydrophyte) native to tropical and sub-tropical South America. With broad, thick, glossy, ovate leaves, water hyacinths may rise above the surface of the water as much as 1 meter in height.
Economical Problems: Water hyacinth mats clog waterways, making boating, fishing and almost all other water activities impossible. Ecological Problems: Water hyacinth mats degrade water quality by blocking photosynthesis, which greatly reduces oxygen levels in the water.