An aquarium plant escaped into Florida waterways in the 1950s; within 40 years, hydrilla had spread to over 70% of the state’s watersheds | World News - The Times of India
An aquatic plant imported for home aquariums became a major management problem in Florida after it entered the state’s freshwater systems in the 1950s. Hydrilla, a submerged plant native to parts of Asia, can grow rapidly, form dense mats near the water’s surface and spread through fragments carried between water bodies.