Salvinia minima is native to South America, Mesoamerica, and the West Indies and was introduced to the United States in the 1920s–1930s.

Though sporocarps, spore-producing sacs, may be present on the leaves of this species, Salvinia minima is thought to be sterile and can only reproduce asexually.

[1] Salvinia minima commonly grows on the surface of still or slow-moving freshwater areas, such as lakes, ponds, and canals.

This species can also be found in backyard ponds and private lakes and can be purchased in states where it is not prohibited as a noxious plant.

[1] Though Salvinia minima is native to Latin America and the West Indies, it has been introduced to parts of the United States, where it is considered an invasive alien species.

It spreads to new ecosystems on the bottoms of boats, in ship ballast tanks, through flooding waterways, or can be carried by birds or other animals.

S. minima currently has a range that spreads across the southeast from Florida to New Mexico as well as some northern states, including New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Maryland.

[6][7] When introduced to a new environment, Salvinia minima can quickly reproduce and form expansive mats on the top of waterways.

In bayou and swamp areas specifically, S. minima is known to out-compete the floating aquatic plant duckweed (Lemnoideae).

Duckweed is a relatively benign plant that is rich in protein and serves as a common source of food for many fish and bird species in its ecosystem.

[5] In order to protect native environments, efforts to eradicate or contain the spread of Salvinia minima have been attempted.

Mechanical methods have proven mostly ineffective because it can be difficult to maneuver equipment in small waterways, and any fragments left behind will regrow.

Some of these herbicides kill S. minima more successfully when a surfactant is added to make the chemicals stick to the surface of the leaves.

In 2005-2006, a research group from Louisiana State University (LSU) introduced salvinia weevils into Gramercy, LA, where S. minima is present.

There are also no known negative impacts of introducing the non-indigenous salvinia weevils to the environment, as they feed exclusively on S. minima and S.

[5] Further research from the group documented establishment of weevil populations of Salvinia minima in southern Louisiana.

[16] The lack of detrimental effects makes biological control methods the most promising in the long-term management of S. minima.