This illustration and article about water hyacinth infesting Florida's St. Johns River are from an 1898 issue of Harper's Weekly magazine. The author said, "I have seen vessels going at full speed brought to a complete standstill."

"WATER HYACINTHS AREN'T SOMETHING WE HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THESE DAYS,"said the fisherman on the St. Johns River. "Used to be I couldn't get my boat into the water, there were so many plants, but today there's not a problem."

Therein lies a misperception.

The fisherman is partly correct - he is able to get his boat into the river now - because there're relatively few water hyacinth plants there. But he's also significantly incorrect - because we do have to worry about water hyacinths these days.

Fortunately and unfortunately, more than 100 years of hyacinth seek-and-destroy missions have succeeded in greatly reducing the plant's numbers, and keeping them low. So to many people, especially people new to Florida, the relatively few water hyacinths out there don't appear to be a threat at all.

Here is the entire article from Harper's Weekly, March 19, 1898. "...perhaps if the red spider or some natural enemy of the plant were deposited there it would be effectual in ridding Florida of the pest...".

However, were it not for at least $70 million worth of management efforts every year in Florida (not including private expenditures), we know that our lakes, rivers, canals and wetlands would again be quickly covered with any number of non-native invasive aquatic plants.

In fact, this $70 million protects $$billions in Florida's natural and economic assets.

Today there are a number of significant non-native aquatic plants on the loose in Florida's waters and wetlands. Some, like hydrilla, water hyacinth, melaleuca and torpedo grass are well-known and costly invaders. Others, like wild taro, water spinach, West Indian marsh grass, and wetland night shade are finally being recognized as the serious threats that they are. Still others, like Wright's nutrush, water snowflake, Asian marsh weed and giant reed may be making advances without our even knowing it.

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V.R.