You would think a pretty little plant used to decorate ponds and fish tanks would be pretty harmless, right? Well, in Hungary, this kind of plant is responsible for what one expert calls  "an ecological catastrophe," and it's a sobering reminder of how easily invasive plants can throw local ecosystems all out of whack.

What's happening?

The plant, a species of water primrose native to the Americas, was originally brought to Europe as a decorative piece.

But as Daily News Hungary reported, it has since escaped into the wild and is now taking over the Körös rivers. With no natural predators to keep it in check, it forms thick green mats across the water's surface, completely choking out the native plants that belong there.

Why is this concerning?

When an invasive plant moves in, it's a hostile takeover of the entire ecosystem. For the Körös rivers, the damage has been swift and devastating.

Biologist Dr. Gusztáv Jakab, who has studied the area for over 25 years, described the situation as heartbreaking, telling Daily News Hungary that a once species-rich habitat has been "entirely destroyed in just a few years."

This isn't just about losing some native flowers. According to the Invasive Species Centre, these dense aquatic invaders can completely clog up waterways, which gets in the way of fun activities like boating and swimming.

More seriously, they degrade the water quality and can ruin the habitat for fish, which messes with the entire food web. For anyone wanting to dive deeper, there is some great information available about these kinds of critical issues.

What's being done about it?

The bad news is that getting rid of these plants is incredibly difficult. Just yanking them out often makes the problem worse, because tiny leftover fragments can float away and start a whole new colony.

But there is some good news. People are finding creative and effective ways to fight back. In Pittsburgh, an all-women invasive species removal group has been making a real difference by consistently clearing out invasive plants with simple tools. 

In a university lab, a student at Michigan Tech has developed a "mushroom soup" from a native fungus that can be sprayed to stop invasive buckthorn trees without using harsh chemicals that could harm other plants.

Unfortunately, scientists have yet to find a similar natural solution to dealing with water primrose. Right now, all Hungarian people can do is keep up the good fight.

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