Native to Mexico and Argentina, hygrophila is a flowering, erect herb that grows on creekbanks and in shallow freshwater wetlands. The main danger of hygrophila is that it outcompetes native flora and can form dense floating rafts which presents a risk to infrastructure during high-rainfall events.

Whilst hygrophila is naturalised in New South Wales, it is only found in one waterway in the Wide Bay Burnett (Maryborough) and is aimed for eradication under the Wide Bay Burnett Regional Biosecurity Strategy 2017-2022.