Eichornia crassipes is a tropical floating waterweed with a spongy texture, most commonly found in the rivers, lakes and waterways of southeast asia. It grows in dense clumps of around 8-10 stems and has an average length of 80 centimetres. After being harvested the stems are dried for several days naturally untill they have turned a golden brown and then woven to form plaits.

Water hyacinth is so prolific that large amounts of public money has been spent trying to eradicate it. In order to give villagers a proper incentive to actively participate in the clearing of their waterways it was necessary to turn this weed into an income generating material – hence a great new environmentally friendly material for furniture. Its simplicity and natural look including its delicate texture have drawn the interests of many interior designers and decorators all over the world.