Bloomipedia
Common water hyacinth (Pontederia crassipes)
Photo: mfeaver via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Common water hyacinth

Pontederia crassipes

Common water hyacinth (Pontederia crassipes) is a flowering plant in the Pontederiaceae family, blooming mostly May–October across the U.S.

Common water hyacinth is a flowering plant. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in May–October.

–states where USDA records it
2Bloomipedia state lists include it
10,694U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Florida, Louisiana

Quick look

Pontederia crassipes, commonly known as common water hyacinth, is an aquatic plant native to South America, naturalized throughout the world, and often invasive outside its native range. It is the sole species of the subgenus Oshunae within the genus Pontederia. Anecdotally, it is known as the "terror of Bengal" due to its invasive growth tendencies.

  • It belongs to the Pontederiaceae family. iNaturalist
  • NatureServe lists it as not native to Florida and Louisiana. NatureServe
  • In Florida, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–November. iNaturalist
  • In Louisiana, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–October. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 4,064 research-grade sightings of it in Florida, ranking #63 among the 151 flowers on our Florida list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 1,400 research-grade sightings of it in Louisiana, ranking #18 among the 154 flowers on our Louisiana list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (640 records)
Bloom time in the 2 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
FloridaIntroducedMay–November4,064
LouisianaIntroducedMay–October1,400

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
Florida
Not listed Not on Florida Regulated Plant Index (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-40.0055). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Florida. FAC 5B-40.0055
Louisiana
No list Louisiana has no state list of endangered or threatened plants separate from the federal list, so we show federal status and NatureServe's Louisiana ranks. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Louisiana.
Rare elsewhere
No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleEdible (per NC State Extension)

NC State Extension notes: “Flowers are edible.” NC State Extension

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS has no state-by-state distribution for this name, so we can't map it yet.

Names, range and relatives

Other Pontederia on Bloomipedia (1): Pickerelweed.

More Florida flowers

Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata)

Pickerelweed

Pontederia cordata

Native

🌼 Blooms in FL: March–May
White beggarticks (Bidens alba)

White beggarticks

Bidens alba

Native

🌼 Blooms in FL: January–March
American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana)

American beautyberry

Callicarpa americana

Native

🌼 Blooms in FL: May–July

Sources