From a plant that had few uses in the past, it has found widespread applications in Vietnam. Water hyacinth products from Vietnam are now popular with both domestic and international customers.
Name: Water Hyacinth / Eichhornia crassipes Origin: Tropical and Sub-Tropical South America. Size: With broad, thick, glossy, ovate leaves, the water hyacinth can rise up to 1 meter (3 feet) above the water surface. The leaves are 10–20 cm (4–8 inches) across and sit on a stem supported by buoyant, bulb-like nodules at its base above the water surface. The plant has long, spongy, and bulbous stalks. The feathery, freely hanging roots are purple-black. An erect stalk supports a single spike of 8 to 15 conspicuously attractive flowers, mostly lavender-to-pink in color with six petals.
Growth: Each plant can additionally produce thousands of seeds annually, and these seeds can remain viable for more than 28 years.
Water hyacinths are vigorous growers, and their mats can double in size in one to two weeks.
The biomass of water hyacinth can increase up to 100 times in just 23 days.
The plant entered Japan in 1884 for horticultural appreciation. Subsequently, the water hyacinth was introduced to Vietnam by the Japanese around 1905.
Water hyacinth is normally widely grown in ponds, decorative aquariums, and ecological lakes to create landscapes. It is also used in combination with lotus species and other plants in water and garden miniatures.
Water hyacinth in garden miniatures
Growing media for straw mushroom (50% straw add 50% water hyacinth)
Dishes processed with water hyacinth
In recent years, many localities in the southwestern region of Vietnam such as Kien Giang, Can Tho, Vinh Long, Dong Thap, Tien Giang… have focused on developing water hyacinth craft villages and achieved many positive results.
Harvest the water hyacinth at the planting site
Fresh water hyacinth will be exposed to the sun for 5-7 days to achieve the plasticity according to the ratio of 12 kg of fresh water hyacinth to 1 kg of dried hyacinth.
The knitter completes and refines the product
Some products from water hyacinth
