Topic: Water Hyacinth - Not hardy?

[elhuerto]

I've bought a few plants for the pond and reading up on them I just realized that the Water Hyacinth isn't hardy. Do you know if it's ok to keep them in an aquarium over winter and then place them back in the pond after the frosts have gone. The aquarium by the way is a small glass tank that once had a terrapin in it - no fish or anything else in it.

Cheers!

[Kepouros]

I don`t know where you got that information from.  It`s true that they won`t stand intense prolonged cold, but I`m sure that the owners of all the water hyacinth-choked waterways in this country and elsewhere were heartily wishing that they weren`t hardy.  Known as "the scourge of the waterways", once established they multiply and spread at an alarming rate and become almost impossible to eradicate from anything but a tiny pond.  And all the choked lakes, rivers and canals in this country owetheir condition  to someone who thought "they`ll be nice in my pond"

[elhuerto]

Thanks, I was going by the product description from the nursery I purchased from

Water Hyacinth (Eicchornia Crassipes) is a popular floating plant with lilac flowers and bulbous leaves. Water Hyacinth is vigorous in warm weather and is not hardy. Water Hyacinth is suitable for tubs, small, medium and large ponds.

[shirlton]

We lost ours when we had them some years ago. Putting them in a tank for the winter is worth a try. What have you got to lose.

[peejay]

I have bought these for years and never had a flower off them yet.  You dont need more than a few plants as they reproduce quickly, same as the water lettuce (nice plant but also not hardy).  I have tried to keep them over winter in a bucket in the shed but failed miserably,  might be worth you having a go though.  All the ones in the pond seem to be rotting come spring so have to buy new.  I would recommend the water hawthorne though, that is hardy, long floating strappy leaves and strong scented flowers (white).