Hydrocotyle Leucocephala

Quick facts

Identity

Also known as

Pennywort; Marble pennywort; Water pennywort

Synonyms

Hydrocotyle asiatica var. leucocephala

Environment

Freshwater

Native to

Brazil, Central America, South America

Habitat

Boggy ground, stream banks, marshes and slow-moving wetlands across Central and South America, growing emersed, floating, or rooted at the water's edge

Sourcing

Aquacultured

Conservation

Not Evaluated

Care

Care level

Easy

Growth form

Stem

Max height

2 – 24 in (5.1 – 61 cm)

Growth rate

Fast

Placement

Foreground, Midground, Background, Floating

Water

Temperature

68 – 82 °F (20 – 28 °C)

pH

6.0 – 7.5

GH

3 – 15 dGH

Flow

Low-Moderate

Light

Medium

CO₂

Beneficial

Planting

Substrate

Any

Feeds from

Both

Fertilizer needs

High

Colors

Green, Cream, Variegated

Feeding & breeding

Propagation

Cuttings

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Care guide

Overview

Circular, half-dollar-sized leaves line creeping stems that root wherever a node touches surface, whether planted, wound through driftwood, or drifting as a floating mat. Easy and fast-growing in low to moderate flow under medium light, it suits foreground, midground or background placement in tanks from 10 gallons and needs regular trimming to stay bushy rather than leggy.

Care

A creeping stem plant with round, scalloped, coin-shaped leaves that root at each node as they spread. It adapts to almost any placement, planted in substrate where it climbs upward, trained along hardscape, or simply left to float as a surface mat. Medium to strong lighting produces the fastest, densest growth, though it will tick along more slowly under lower light. Because it grows so quickly it needs regular trimming to stay in bounds and keep a bushy shape rather than reaching straight for the surface.

Planting & trimming

Plant individual stems or small bunches a couple inches apart directly into the substrate, or simply let cuttings float freely at the surface. Rooted stems will climb upward and can be trained along driftwood or rockwork, while floating portions form a shading canopy that fish and shrimp use for cover. Regular trimming just above a leaf node keeps the plant dense and compact instead of reaching straight to the surface.

Fertilizing

It draws nutrients through both roots and the water column, so it benefits from a nutrient-rich substrate or root tabs plus regular liquid fertilizer dosing. Being a fast, heavy feeder it strips nitrates from the water effectively, which makes it useful for keeping algae in check, but it will stall and yellow if nutrients run short. CO2 is not required but supplementing it noticeably speeds growth and produces tighter, more compact stems. Watch new leaves for pale or stunted growth as an early sign of a deficiency.

Propagation

Propagation is done by cutting any stem segment that includes a leaf node and replanting it in substrate or simply floating it, since every node is capable of rooting. Trimmed tops can be replanted to thicken existing stands, while lower cuttings often continue growing from the remaining base. Growth is fast enough that a single stem can fill out a section of tank within a few weeks under good light.

Problems

Healthy stems show even, round leaves and short internode spacing; leggy stems with wide gaps between leaves usually indicate insufficient light. Algae can build up on older, slower-growing leaves, especially when the plant is grown emersed or under low flow, and is best managed by trimming away the affected foliage. The variegated form is prone to reverting to plain green, and any all-green shoots should be cut out at the base before they outcompete the marbled growth.

Sources

1. Brazilian pennywort care: light, CO2 and placement · TankBud
2. Hydrocotyle leucocephala | UK Aquatic Plant Society
3. Brazilian pennywort Variegated care guide · TankBud

Varieties in the catalog

Hydrocotyle Leucocephala Variegated

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