Pond Boss Forums AQUATIC VEGETATION Balance of plants in the environment Tropical Invasives as annuals?

I'm interested if anyone has considered planting water lettuce or other invasive tropicals in a Northern pond as an annual. It is fairly cheap and spreads quickly, providing shade and structure throughout the growing season. It would die off in winter, eliminating any chance of it overtaking a pond. It seems it would have benefits in the plant world similar to tilapia in the fish world. I am also interested if there are other fast spreading floating varieties with similar characteristics to be used in place of expensive water lilies.

Sounds plausible but you might want to make sure it's legal. Even if it dies off annually some exotic plants are strictly forbidden.

Water hyacinth is appealing too because it flowers. There is a water garden store within a few miles of me that sells them both pretty cheap compared to the $35 lillies and $70 lotus plants that would likely become a gourmet lunch for my 2 grass carp. This idea stems from an article I read in the newspaper last year about a patch of water lettuce that was found near some docks in a bay of Lake Erie. The agency (I don't remember which one) that investigated said that it wouldn't survive Ohio's winter temps.

These plants produce a lot of dead material. I would physically remove these as they die off so you don't create a lot of muck and create more problems. Great water filters though.

I was thinking I would remove them come fall. How difficult is this to do? Will water lettuce multiply well in full sun or should I just use the water hyacinth since I have no shade? Any recommendations on how much I should buy to have an affect on a 1/2 acre pond? I have fertile water, how much could I expect the water hyacinth to spread in one summer?

Ryan, I have Water hyacinth in my pond yearly. One or two plants in the late spring grow out to be about 200+ by end of summer. I usually take them out as they start to freeze to make sure I do not have a DO drop mid winter. They are great in Northern ponds and add shelter for FHM and also take up the excess neutrients in the pond and thus keep the pond fairly clear of FA. I have also used water lettuce but I didn't like how they looked so I went the other route.

If you like I think in the past I have posted a few pics of them in my pond but here they are again.

General view of the plants around the edges of pond.


View of flowers in late summer.

Thanks for the reply and useful insight. I don't feel so guilty for bumping my own thread now. Looks like a nice place to cast a weedless frog! That is a beautiful picture of the flower.

Thanks and good luck with it. They can work out well. As to the questions of if they are legal in the state, if they are selling them at your local water garden store, then they should be legal. I got mine for about $1.50 per plant and only put in 2 for my 1/10 - 1/4 acre pond. Works out to be about hte right number. I use that and the Floating Island to give shelter to the FHM and fry from the YP.

My pond is very low due to all the dry weather. The water hyacinth has been beached for months but it has apparently been getting enough moisture to survive. It hasn't spread as much as I anticipated nor has it really provided any shade for the fish.


This tile was 2' under water this spring and now has a new resident. The frogs seem to like the water hyacinth.