How do you tell the difference between seagrass and water hyacinth?

When it comes to natural products woven from seagrass and water hyacinth, many individuals are unable to tell the difference between the two materials. If you have no prior knowledge of knitting crafts, this will be quite challenging. However, there are a few ways for shoppers to distinguish between these two materials. 

3 most basic distinctions between seagrass and water hyacinth

About physical properties

In terms of physical properties, water hyacinth is larger in diameter than seagrass. However, in terms of rusticity and gloss, seagrass is superior thanks to its green color. Over time, the green color of seagrass fades to beige or khaki.

Water hyacinth has a color tint that gives off a warmer vibe. Water hyacinth also has a softer surface than seagrass. In general, the tones of these two materials are opposed.

The level of safety is a commonality between these two materials. Seagrass and water hyacinth are both non-toxic and biodegradable. They are not as hard as rattan or bamboo, but when weaved, they are soft, flexible, and elastic.

About color fastness

People frequently employ dying or painting on both materials to create things with lovely hues. However, water hyacinth has superior color retention than seagrass because of its soft-bodied qualities. Meanwhile, seagrass has a smooth and glossy surface. Color adherence will be poor when painting or dyeing on the surface of this substance. For dyed seagrass products, customers need to be aware of this disadvantage.

However, the production units will have a way to fix the product to produce the most durable and beautiful color.

Furthermore, bold dyes will look better on seagrass than in mild colors. The paint on the seagrass surface is also easier to pull off than the paint on the water hyacinth when using the paint method.

About the price of the finished product

The price of a product code between two materials is determined by a variety of factors. It takes into account the cost of the material as well as the cost of the woven style.

Seagrass has been commonly produced in Vietnam’s coastal areas due to suitable weather conditions. However, in the Northern region, particularly Thanh Hoa and Thai Binh provinces, seagrass has a higher quality, lower cost, and larger output.

Water hyacinth, on the other hand, is a widespread aquatic plant found in ponds and aquariums throughout Vietnam. In the southern regions, this variety of trees usually provides higher quality at a lower cost.

Popular weaves of water hyacinth and seagrass

Both water hyacinth and seagrass have a wide range of weaving styles. They’re made by talented local craftspeople. Each weave has a varied amount of complexity and manipulation of materials. Here are a few examples of popular weaves using the two materials: (there are also some similar weaves).

Seagrass weave patterns:

• Twisted seagrass

• Split seagrass  

• Pressed seagrass

• Braided seagrass

• Wrapped seagrass

• Coiled seagrass

The most expensive weave style is rolled seagrass. It makes a dense weave with a lot of seagrass and takes a lot of time and work from the artisans.

Water hyacinth weave patterns:

• Twisted weave 

• Rolled weave

• Arrow weave

• Rice nut weave

• Flat weave

• Asterisk weave

• Hexagonal weave

• Braided weave

• Zigzag weave

Rolled weaves are more expensive than other low-cost types like Asterisk, Hexagonal, and Flat. Because they require a lot of handling and manipulation. 

Many unique goods have resulted from craftsmen’ inventiveness. They are baskets, trays, plates completed by a combination of two materials.

If you’re a first-time consumer or have not much experience buying wholesale, it’s a good idea to learn how to distinguish between these two perplexing materials (seagrass and water hyacinth). This makes it simple to debate product features and pricing ranges in order to make the best purchase decisions, especially when buying in bulk.