The water hyacinth is a perennial aquatic plant that is native to the tropical Americas. Its common name in English comes from its superficial resemblance to the true hyacinth flower.
Water hyacinths reproduce by releasing spores into the water. These spores can then grow into new plants on objects that are in or near the water, such as rocks, piling logs, and other vegetation. The plant can also spread through parts of its long root system which grows up from underneath the surface of the water and shoots out shoots on top of it.