The water hyacinth is a species that grows all over the Northeast and is woven into a wide array of products, from bags to yoga mats.
The raw substance is geared up by sun-drying its stems, and stems of 24-30 inches are preferably chosen. They are sun-dried for seven to eight days and then compressed to arrange them for weaving. For non-framed yields like bags, the stems are braided and stitched up to give the preferred shapes. For framed products like furniture, bamboo, and cane frames are used. These are then even woven in looms to make products like yoga mats.