Dwarf Hygrophila

Hygrophila polysperma

The stem plant usually handed to beginners: it grows in almost any water, needs no carbon dioxide and forgives mistakes. Its own speed is the only problem — the thicket has to be cut back every few weeks.

Light: low–high
Difficulty: very easy
Temperature: 4 – 35 °C (39 – 95 °F)

Leaf colour: green, pink or purple
Plant type: stem plant
Growth rate: very fast
Tolerates light: low – high
pH: 5 – 8
Carbonate hardness: 2 – 21 °dKH
General hardness: 0 – 30 °dGH
Placement: background, midground
Propagation: cuttings
Grows emersed: yes

Appearance

Upright stems with pairs of soft, oval light-green leaves. In strong light the tops turn pinkish and the leaves stay small and close together; in dim light the stem stretches and the leaves grow thin and far apart.

Keeping

Extremely tolerant: it accepts soft and hard water, warm and cool, dim light and bright. Carbon dioxide and fertiliser only make it grow faster. In some countries it is banned as an invasive weed, so it is worth checking the local rules before buying.

Placement

The back and the middle of the tank, in groups of several stems. Because it grows quickly it makes a good starter plant for a new aquarium: it takes up the nutrients that algae would otherwise use while the tank settles down.

Propagation

Cut a stem into pieces about ten centimetres long and plant them; even a single leaf that falls off often roots by itself. The cut stem branches and gives two new shoots instead of one.

Water conditions match

The water suits 1008 of 1249 species in the catalogue — these are the ones people look up most often.

Swordtail Guppies Cobra Guppy Blood Red Molly Butterflyfish Red Zebra Cichlid Julii Corydoras Red-finned Parotocinclus Gastromyzon monticola Egg-shaped Goldfish Flame Tetra Gardner's Killifish African Tetra Kenyi Cichlid Cuckoo Catfish Golden Swordtail Hypsolebias picturatus Common Zacco Labeo Bicolor Gambusia Flying barb Gastromyzon scitulus Albino Zebra Danio Geophagus Brokopondo Zebra Mbuna

Will eat this plant

These species damage plants, especially when their diet is short of vegetable food.

Bengal Loach Zebra Loach Burmese Border Loach Emperor Botia Spined Loach Marbled Headstander Pellegrin's Leporinus Leporinus striatus False Black Tetra Common Metynnis Mylossoma duriventre Red Whiptail Catfish Molly sphenops Balloon Molly Lyretail Molly Marble Molly Hi-Fin Platy Hawaii Platy Blue Platy Pintail Platy Black Platy Chocolate Molly Moonlight Gourami Melanotaenia parva

Will uproot it

These species dig through the substrate and pull rooted plants out.

Marble Loach Peacock Eel Forktail Loach Guntea Loach Long-nosed Loach Horseface Loach Pearlscale Black Moor Goldfish Shubunkin Painted Pleco Featherfin Synodontis Reddish Mystus Catfish Blue Acara Aulonocara maylandi Aulonocara multicolor Aulonocara Orchid Geophagus altifrons Geophagus winemilleri Pearlscale Cichlid Pearl Cichlid Redbelly Cichlid Red-spotted Cichlid Chuco godmanni Haplochromis philander Red Chromide Jack Dempsey cichlid

Matching water does not mean the fish will leave the plant alone.

The same plant with a different look: light, water and care are shared with the species.

Hygrophila polysperma 'Big leaf'

Hygrophila polysperma ''Ceylon''

Hygrophila polysperma 'Sunset' ('Rosanervig')

Other varieties: Hygrophila polysperma 'Rosanervig', Hygrophila polysperma 'White', Hygrophila polysperma 'Broadleaf'

Scientific and other names, conservation status

Other scientific names: Adenosma polysperma (Roxburgh) Sprengel, Hemiadelphis polysperma (Roxburgh) Nees, Justicia polysperma Roxburgh, Adenosma polysperma, Hemiadelphis polysperma, Hemiadelphis polysperma joshiana, Hemiadelphis polyspermus joshianus, Hemigraphis tonkinensis, Hygrophila polysperma albiflora, Justicia polysperma, Ruellia polysperma, Ruellia uliginosa
Hygrophila polysperma: (Roxb.) T.Anderson
Family: Acanthaceae
Conservation status: LC

Dwarf Hygrophila

Tank conditions

Care and keeping