The species is cultivated as an edible vegetable by Asian immigrants for personal use and for sale in oriental food markets throughout the United States. It is a vine-like species that can grow in a wide range of habitats and is quite aggressive in Florida's water bodies because of its prolific growth rate. The Florida Department of Natural Resources seized seeds and harvested plants from Oriental food stores and destroyed many water-spinach infestations in southern and central Florida drainage ditches and ponds. Many believe that establishment of the species in Florida is only a matter of time. Most occurrences of water spinach in the wild are deliberate plantings.
Water spinach is a perennial trailing herb of muddy stream banks and freshwater ponds and marshes.
It usually grows prostrate but can climb and cover emergent vegetation. Although water spinach had not been in public lakes or rivers until 1990, its possession in Florida has been prohibited since 1973. The greatest management concern is its adaptation for growth in areas of periodic drying and flooding such as the Everglades. Furthermore, attempts to control water spinach with registered aquatic herbicides were only temporary. Because of its prolific growth, this species can invade moist cultivated areas, such as rice and sugar cane fields, and other areas with varying water levels, such as the Everglades, drainage canals, and ditches.