Water Hyacinth - (Eichhornia crassipes) Lavender blooms are pretty but short lived.

Plants that float, with roots that hang down into the water, are good choices for providing coverage for your fish. Floating plants are oxygenators and help to keep the water clean as well.  Some plants such as Hornwort and Anacharis, are completely submerged and therefore great choices for providing oxygenation.  Remember that your hungry and curious koi will often eat just about anything they can fit into their mouths, including these plants.

We remind folks all the time to make sure and set some extra plants aside in a bucket or tub.  Farm your own so you can have a fresh supply on hand as needed. Of course, you can always get more from us.

If you become overrun with Hyacinth or Water Lettuce, toss them into your composter. They will decompose quickly and also make excellent garden mulch.

Water Lettuce

Water Lettuce - Pistia stratiotes or spp. 
This plant resembles heads of lettuce or cabbages floating on the surface of the water. Does not bloom. Reproduces all summer, can grow to 12" across, with most plants growing to 8" across.

Water Lettuce - Roots hanging.

Water Lettuce can grow quite large. This plant is almost constantly reproducing itself. It is an eye-catcher and attractive in any size water feature. It does well in the tiniest fountain or even a tabletop bowl water garden. 

Water Hyacinth

Growing Tip: Farm your own so you always have some in supply! Hyacinth can  grow quite large if allowed to root in mud with a few inches of water. Or set some aside in a bucket of water with partial shade. Swap out your old Hyacinths periodically for fresh ones.

Remember: Water Hyacinth has a cycle. It does not look good all the time, and it does not winter over well. If you want some of your own starters for next season, put some aside in a location that gets sun light but keeps them out of the cold, like a barn or garage window.

Shown in this photo: Koi have spawned, and their eggs have attached to Hyacinth roots.

When Hyacinth is at it's best, they will have plenty of little hair-like tiny roots, as shown here. If you have hyacinth with long stringy roots, better to cut or pull them off, and let them regenerate. The old stringy roots will just fall off eventually, pollute your pond and clog up your filter. Of course in a natural setting, the rotting old roots will just turn into nutrients in the soil.

Shown here are some new Hyacinth blooms just before opening for the day. Hyacinth blooms wilt quickly, seldom lasting more than a day or two.  Background plant is simple Horsetail, planted in damp loose soil.