Hydrocotyle Verticillata

Quick facts

Identity

Also known as

Whorled Marsh-pennywort; Shield Pennywort

Synonyms

Hydrocotyle verticillata var. triradiata

Environment

Freshwater

Native to

United States, Central America, South America, West Indies

Habitat

Marshes, pond margins, ditches, and shallow wetlands with damp soil or shallow standing water throughout warmer parts of the Americas

Sourcing

Aquacultured

Conservation

Not Evaluated

Care

Care level

Moderate

Growth form

Rhizome

Max height

1 – 4 in (2.5 – 10 cm)

Spread

6 in (15 cm)

Growth rate

Moderate

Placement

Foreground, Midground, Carpet

Water

Temperature

64 – 81 °F (18 – 27 °C)

pH

5.5 – 7.5

GH

4 – 18 dGH

dKH

0 – 15 dKH

Flow

Low-Moderate

Light

High

CO₂

Beneficial

Planting

Substrate

Nutrient-rich preferred

Feeds from

Both

Fertilizer needs

Medium

Colors

Green

Feeding & breeding

Propagation

Runners, Cuttings, Splitting

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Care guide

Overview

Foreground carpets and paludariums suit this creeping rhizome plant best, since round, parasol-shaped green leaves stay low and dense only under strong light. Left dim, stems stretch leggy and untidy. Regular trimming, a nutrient-rich substrate, and patience through the emersed-to-submerged adjustment period keep the mat compact and shrimp-safe.

Care

Whorled pennywort grows along a creeping horizontal stem that sends up round, parasol-shaped leaves on short vertical petioles at each node. It performs far better emersed or in paludariums, where it spreads quickly into a dense mat, than fully submerged, where growth slows and bright light with CO2 injection is needed to keep it compact. Under strong light it stays low and dense, forming a usable carpet, while under weak light it grows tall and leggy and loses its neat form. It tolerates a wide temperature range and is not fussy about water hardness, but it is a fairly brittle plant that can suffer from being uprooted or nibbled.

Planting & trimming

Separate a bunch into smaller sections, each retaining at least one node with leaves and roots, and plant the base into fine, nutrient-rich substrate while keeping the crown just above the substrate line. It spreads via creeping runners that travel along the surface of the substrate, so give it room to fill in horizontally and trim runners with scissors to maintain a tidy, low foreground carpet. Regular trimming of both leaves and runners keeps growth compact and prevents it from climbing over neighboring plants.

Fertilizing

Plant it in a nutrient-rich substrate or use root tabs, since it draws much of its nourishment through its roots as a rooted crawler rather than purely from the water column. Regular liquid fertilizer dosing with iron and micronutrients helps sustain fast, dense growth, particularly under high light and CO2. Pale or yellowing new leaves usually point to iron or nitrogen deficiency, while leggy stretched growth signals insufficient light.

Propagation

Propagation is mainly by lateral runners that produce plantlets at each node, which root readily once they contact substrate. Sections of the creeping stem can also be cut away as long as each piece includes at least one node and a leaf, then replanted elsewhere. Splitting established clumps is another simple way to generate new plants for relocation or sharing.

Problems

Melt or die-back can occur after transplanting or when moving a specimen from emersed to submerged growth, since the plant needs time to adjust its leaf structure to underwater conditions. Slow-growing submerged specimens under low light are prone to algae fouling on their round leaves. Because the leaves and stems are somewhat brittle and palatable, they are also vulnerable to being shredded or grazed by boisterous or omnivorous fish.

Sources

1. Hydrocotyle verticillata - Whorled pennywort - Flowgrow Aquatic Plant Database
2. Hydrocotyle Verticillata: Ultimate Care Guide - Fish Laboratory
3. Hydrocotyle verticillata: Care, Propagation, and Maintenance
4. Whorled pennywort care: light, CO2 and placement · TankBud

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