About the species

Hydrocotyle verticillata is a creeping American plant with round, shield-shaped leaves on thin, upright stalks. The leaves look like tiny umbrellas and the plant reaches only three to seven centimetres in height. Unlike the other Hydrocotyle species it keeps its creeping habit rather than stretching upwards, and it can just as well be left to float freely at the surface.

Facts

• Latin name: Hydrocotyle verticillata
• Plant type: Stem plant
• Origin: South America
• Height: 3–10 cm
• Growth rate: Medium
• Position: Foreground

Light requirement

High light requirement. It wants a strong light unit and a clear view of the surface — shaded by taller plants it quickly loses its lower leaves. Strong lighting also demands that CO₂ and nutrients stay in balance, otherwise algae take over.

CO₂ & nutrition

Added CO₂ is recommended — Tropica reckons 6–14 mg/l as a medium requirement. The plant can be grown without, but then grows more slowly and loses some of its colour. Supplement with liquid fertiliser weekly and keep iron and potassium levels up.

Planting

Split the bunch and set the stems one by one, about two centimetres into the substrate and two to three centimetres apart. Removing the lowest leaves first stops them rotting in the substrate. A group of five to ten stems looks far better straight away than single plants.

Carefully remove the pot and rinse the rock wool off the roots before planting — leftover rock wool can otherwise hinder rooting.

Care & propagation

Top the plant when it reaches the height you want and replant the cuttings — that propagates it and gives a denser group at the same time. Trim regularly so light reaches the lower leaves, and discard the old lower sections once they start thinning out.

Position in the aquarium

Its low mature size makes it a foreground plant. Place it right at the front where nothing shades it, and let it form a continuous surface in front of the taller plants.

Difficulty level

🔴 Advanced — requires strong lighting, added CO₂ and careful fertilisation.

Delivery format

Delivered as a pot grown submerged, with the roots in rock wool. The pot holds several plants or stems that can be divided and planted separately.

Recommendation

A characterful foreground plant if you have strong lighting and soft, slightly acidic water. It does not need to root at all — lay a few shoots on the surface instead and it works as a decorative floating plant.