Water Spinach
Other Common Names: swamp morning glory
(Ipomoea aquatica)
Non-Native
Water spinach is a trailing vine with milky sap. Alternate leaves are usually arrowhead shaped and grow to seven inches long with pointed tips.
Management Options
Click here for more information on how to control water spinach.
Description
Water spinach is a trailing vine with milky sap. The stems are hollow and root at the nodes. The plant is often nine feet long and has reached more than 70 feet long. It can grow up to four inches a day. Leaves alternate on stems and are usually arrowhead shaped but can vary. They grow to seven inches long and have pointed tips. When the stems are floating, the blades are held above the water. Flowers typically grow solitary but can be in a cluster with a few others. They are showy like morning glories and have white to pink lilac petals. The outer parts of the petals are lighter and the centers are darker. Water spinach forms dense mats floating on the water and outcompetes native plants.
Location
Water spinach can be found across the United States.
Propagation
seeds, fragments
Management Options
Click here for more information on how to control water spinach.