Eichornia

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Eichornia also known as water hyacinth or green plague. The actual name of this plant correlates with the geography of its growth. In the south, the plant is called exclusively water plague or green, and in those countries where the climate is temperate, the plant is preferred to be designated as water hyacinth.

The plant should be classified in the family called Pontederia. Eichornia is native to Brazil. The plant seems especially beautiful during its flowering period. The stems of the plant are rather short, and the filamentous roots are painted in dark purple tones. Rosettes of oval leaves are visible on the stems. By the way, the flowers last only a day, and then the peduncle will go under the water.

It is very important to remember that such a plant simply cannot survive in open reservoirs in cold climates in winter. Therefore, eichornia should be transferred for the winter either to vessels with water or to aquariums and kept at home. In the spring, the plant in the reservoir will begin to multiply again and will delight its owner with amazing beauty.

The plant floats on the surface of the water, creating a very beautiful atmosphere. As an ornamental plant, its use will surely be successful. The leaves of the water hyacinth are painted in dark green tones, and the leaves are also endowed with thickened petioles. At the end of summer, flowers will appear that will sit on dense peduncles and very much resemble orchids. As for the tones, these flowers can be blue, lilac or yellow. However, in a cool summer, the flowering of the plant may not occur, which must also be taken into account.

Plant care

It is recommended to plant the plant, depending on the weather conditions, around June, and before the onset of frost, the water hyacinth must be moved indoors. In order for the plant to fully develop, the presence of heat and nutrition is required. The height of the plant's flowers can even reach thirty centimeters. Flowering occurs in August-September.

It is also very important that the plant will feel as comfortable as possible in very dirty waters. This circumstance is due to the fact that suspensions will collect on the root system of the eichornia, which then process various organic pollutants.

So, eichornia loves heat very much, it does not tolerate temperatures below twenty-two degrees Celsius. Draft and sudden temperature changes are highly undesirable for this plant. In the event that you keep water hyacinth in the aquarium, you should cover it when the room is being ventilated. However, in this case, the supply of fresh air must be constant. Insufficient fresh air can also be detrimental to plant health.

Eichornia is also very thermophilic, she does not need partial shade. In autumn and winter, it makes sense to attend to artificial lighting, for which the so-called fluorescent lamps, which are also used in ordinary aquariums for fish, will be the best option. It is not recommended to create such daylight hours for more than fourteen hours, otherwise the plant will grow very quickly. However, if such abundant overgrowth is your goal, then the lighting should be practically constant.

Reproduction of eichornia occurs in a vegetative way, new plants are formed on the lateral shoots. However, in its homeland, a plant can also reproduce through seeds.

It is very important to add fertilizers intended for both indoor plants and those in aquariums. It is very problematic to grow a plant in an aquarum together with fish: eichornia needs a separate aquarium or a reservoir. As for the soil, it is recommended to opt for sand with a small addition of peat.