Bacopa – Some Novelties And Some Old Friends

Plants of the genus Bacopa have been popular aquarium plants for years. Most species within this genus are robust, easy to keep and persistend growers. Whilst species such as B. caroliniana and B.monnieri are a common choice with aquarists, B. lanigera is kept only very rarely in Europe. B. crenata, a wonderful species, is not available at shops and is hence also a rare plant. B. madagascariensis is hardly ever on sale anywhere. B. spec. ‘Purple’ is so new that I have the privilege to introduce it here for the first time.

Woolly Bacopa (Bacopa Lanigera)

Pin
Bacopa lanigera

First, I’d like to do away with a prejudice. It is often claimed that B.lanigera is hard to keep. Whilst it is true that its submersed growth is slow and roots are only produced sparsely, in my experience this plant has turned out to be a good grower and is generaly trouble-free. It does not have particular demands as to water quality (albeit I use almost pure rain water due to the hardness of the tap water in Münster), nor does it seem to need any special fertilizer treatment. The only thing it needs is strong light. The Wolly Bacopa tends to lose its lower leaves, which is probably even more pronounced under low light. Due to this tendency, it is best kept as a midground filler with frequent re-planting according to the classic Dutch method for planted tanks. At the same time, you can cover the lower portions of the stem with medium high foreground plants. (H. corymbosa ‘Compact’ is a good choice). Due to this frequent care, B. lanigera will never reach great heights, making it an ideal midground plant. One of my favourite features of this plant is its bright green colour which will never convert to red, even under very bright lights.

Contrary to others, we found B. lanigera to be an excellent aquarium plant. Despite its slight reluctance to root properly, it is a persistant grower if kept under bright lights and supplied with CO2 and balanced fertiliser. Unlike B. carolinianaB. lanigera will always stay green, even under very bright light. Stems are hairy even when kept submerged. Lower leaves are shed after a while so it is advised to keep this plant in the mid-ground, where it will harmonize with other green plants. Grows faster than B. monnieri or B. caroliniana. Trimming and replanting regularly is advised to keep this plant looking its best. Since most of its nutrient uptake is through the leaves, regular trimmming is tolerated well.

Dentated Water-Hyssop (Bacopa Crenata)

Bacopa crenataPin
Bacopa crenata

Another candidate with brigth green leaves, also witout the tendency to develop any red pigment, even under high light. Its green is of a particularly pale shade, which creates the impression of great freshness – a feature much desired in Nature Aquariums. Root development is strong and this plant will grow best on a good quality, iron-rich aquarium substrate. Interestingly, this plant will show twisted or distorted leaves if something is not right. For healthy plants, the submerged form is indiscriminable from the emersed form. Use strong lights to keep this plant happy. Recommended position is in mid- to background. Do not re-plant too often. (Not that you will have to as its growth is not fast). Propagate through cuttings but do not wait too long as the remaining stems should have at least 2 to 4 leaves left.

Suitable but slow growing Bacopa. A wonderful feature is the light yellow-green color which will not lose its hue to red even under strong light.

Bacopa Madagascariensis

Bacopa madagascariensisPin
Bacopa madagascariensis

My personal favourite. Despite its similarity to B. monnieri, some of it’s features are very unique and characteristic. Its habit is always upright, even under strong light, whilst its growth rate is slightly slower – a real boon for maintenance. I really value this plant for its leaves, though: They are never twisted or rolled in at the sides, like B. monnieri‘s leaves often are. The slightly stiff habit is created by its relatively thick stem compared to the rather small leaves. It is this charcteristic appearance which makes B. madagascariensis such a wonderful accent plant.

Wonderful plant for mid- to background planting. Now available at Extraplant. Easy to keep plant if enough light is provided. Lovely if used with other green plants. Provides great structure in any aquarium because of its slightly stiff habit.

Ruby Bacopa (Bacopa spec.‘Purple’)

Pin
Bacopa spec. ‘Purple’

Its similarity with B. caroliniana suggests close relation of the two but this is yet to be confirmed. The Ruby Bacopa is slightly smaller than B. caroliniana. Its striking ruby red colouration is present under normal light and does not require extreme illumination to develop. Describing the hues of green and red that this plant displays requires some poetic talent I cannot muster :).

Pin
Bacopa spec. ‘Purple’

Its leaves display a variation of hues from bright green down to deep purple red. This spectacular play of colour make this plant a wonderful red accent but interestingly, it lends itself also to be used as a companion for other red plants, as the above picture demonstrates (Ludwigia ovalis in the background here).

This valuable plant is a new introduction and not available at shops. Leaves are smaller than those of Bacopa caroliniana and colours range from dark green to a lush pink if good light and a balanced fertiliser dosage is offered. Fantastic, medium low accent among other red plants or as a spot of colour between light green plants. Not hard to grow at all.

Southern Bacopa (Bacopa Australis)

Pin
Bacopa australis

This plant, which looks rather atypical for a Bacopa, is still relatively new but has already taken a firm foothold in the world of aquascaping. Its thin stems, bushy growth and round, light green leaves remind of a larger form of Baby’s Tears (Micranthemum umbrosum). In actual fact, this Bacopa is much easier to look after, tolerates a larger scope of water conditions and -temperatures and thrives under low to high light. If you want compact, bushy growth, you should provide sufficient light, though. B. australis takes some time to settle in but once it has taken root, it needs to be trimmed at least once a week. As soon as a dense clump has formed, it will be difficult to keep the shape by weekly trimming and a more radical cut-back may become necessary. Allow for some time for the remaining plants to recover. This may take a while. If you want to avoid your plants looking a bit rough for a while, you can always re-plant the cuttings after removing the entire clump.

Pin
Bacopa australis

One of the most outstanding properties of this Bacopa is its truly dense, you could even say, opaque, growth habit. No other species is capable of forming continuous clumps from fore- to background with a similar tolerance to trimming. Maybe this is the best plant for Dutch Style “Streets” yet.

Wonderful and dense plant. Very undemanding. Forms a lovely cushion in fore- to midground. In Nano- and Nature Aquarium designs, it is popular as a background plant with excellent qualities as a backdrop for almost any kind of aquascape. No other species is capable of forming such dense clumps at heights reaching from foreground to background.

Bacopa Caroliniana (Water Hyssop)

Bacopa CarolinianaPin
Bacopa Caroliniana

Very robust and suitable aquarium plant which will almost always grow to satisfaction if kept under at least moderate (better high) lighting. Almost a must in a Dutch Style Aquarium, this plant is gorgeous as a mid-or background solitary group. Some pruning is required when the lower portions of the stems lose their leaves. Then, take out the whole plant, trim away the leafless lower parts and replant as a stepped group. Like this, the re-planted group will keep the picture for at least 6 weeks until pruning is again required.

Bacopa Monnieri Type I (Dwarf Bacopa, Type I)

Bacopa Monnieri Type IPin
Bacopa Monnieri Type I

Very valuable species for almost al kinds of planting layout. Very frequently found in Dutch aquascapes but also seen in early works of AMANO. This species will always retain its bright green colour but will tend to grow more horizontally as light levels increase. Maintenance can be carried out every 4-5 weeks by either clipping off the tops (the lazy way) or by replanting whole shoots (Check out our post on Looking after Stem Plants). The latter method is recommended as the replanted group will better keep the picture. To sum it up: very rewarding and reasy to keep, yet beautiful plant. We order this variety from Singapore, while TYPE II is obtained from a Dutch nursery.

Bacopa Monnieri Type II (Dwarf Bacopa, Type II)

Bacopa Monnieri Type IIPin
Bacopa Monnieri Type II

Variety of Bacopa monnieri with spatulate leaves from a Dutch source. This variety differst from Type I in having more oblong and narrower leaves. Very attractive. Both types are similarly easy to grow.

Bacopa Myriophylloides (Fine-Leaved Bacopa)

Bacopa MyriophylloidesPin
Bacopa Myriophylloides

Very attractive and rare. Makes a wonderful accent if planted as a group in the mid- to foreground. A little fussy to adapt at first. Has a tendency to grow into  thick mats if kept under bright lights, however this can be kept in check through regular maintenance, which will quickly yield a large group. Similar to Hydrotriche hottoniiflora, which is less demanding and will always grow upright.

5/5
Photo of author

Stephan Van Ausdal

With more than 20 years of experience in growing indoor plants, he is an expert on houseplants & aquarium plants. He holds a master’s degree in Plant Sciences from Wageningen University & Research.
Leave a Comment