Plant of the Month: Brazilian Pennywort, Hydrocotyle leucocephala

[Mgamer20o0]

they look great! never seen em before. So they just hang like that? I mean the roots?

well the bottom two pics was it floating pics from above and bellow.

We got some at an auction over the weekend. What is the best way to plant it? It came potted and I just put it in one of the tanks for now.

it really depends on what you want to do with it. if you want it as a background you can put it in the substrate. as a foreground its a little more tricky but can work. you can also float it or enter tangle it with some other plants.

 

[RazzleFish]

I can't stand my pennywort! I know it sounds crazy but I cant find a place to put it where it looks good! I have tried it planted along the sides and the leaves are so spread out it looks silly. I currently have it floating in 3 of my tanks and I hate how it just balls up and looks like a giant mass taking over the tank! In one tank (my viv) since the water movement is less, it does look better but as soon as one of the leaves goes under water it will not come back up! Then it just turns into the floating mass like the other tanks! I am currently trying to get some growing along the bottom of one of my tanks for a carpet look and if it will grow and stay on the bottom I think it will look good but ATM it seems to be growing more up than out...

If anyone knows how to plant it so it looks good PLEASE share!

 

[user_name]

there should be something like this for fish/inverts....

 

[Slappy*McFish]

I love Pennywort. It's my favorite stem plant, as well.
Here's some in my 10g...

I have quite a bit in my 50G long, too.

 

[Slappy*McFish]

If anyone knows how to plant it so it looks good PLEASE share!

You just need to layer it to create some depth. Plant taller stems in the back with shorter stems in front of them. I agree that it will take over a tank if left unchecked. If you don't like that overgrown look, you've got to keep it trimmed.

 

[fishycat]

Hydrocotyle looks best when kept pruned. If you let long strands grow floating, the current will push them into a ball and there'll be leaf die-offs and you'll end up with stem bundles. It does much better when kept planted in shorter sections (trim & replant). Floating can be nice - I use thread to anchor the plant in one area & to prevent "balling".

I first fell in love with hydrocotyle growing in a tall branching formation with leaves up near the surface & the wispy roots hanging like fancy curtains... But I have not yet been able to reproduce that look.

I should add that the "balling" issue I personally had was with h. sibthorpioides which seems to grow faster (as well as smaller). I added H. Leucocephala (planted stems) to my tank about 2 months ago - not enough growth yet to create any issues this in my tank.

 

[RazzleFish]

You just need to layer it to create some depth. Plant taller stems in the back with shorter stems in front of them. I agree that it will take over a tank if left unchecked. If you don't like that overgrown look, you've got to keep it trimmed.

I think that may be best, I did try that once but I realize now I should have re-planted the cuttings rather than remove them. I think I'll try that once I get my order of new plants.

Thanks for the tip!

 

[dundadundun]

as mg already stated, hydrocotyle sp. are very versatile.

here's a pic of hydrocotyle sibthorpioides growing terrestrially and acclimating nicely.


i got this a few weeks back shipped to me directly from aquatic growth. i got lazy and just twisted up some of the bunch i received and shoved it in the darkest spot of my terra. this is how it's doing so far. pretty tough plant.

hydrocotyle acclimates to terrestrial growth in most climates quite well. this is certainly one genus you can't just toss out on the lawn every week and expect not to grow eventually.

 

[fishycat]

Looks good, Dun! Let's see what pics I can find...

Here's the h. sibthorpioides when it was the pride & joy of my 10g tank. diy co2 & 2-23w cfls... this is actually it's sunset years - right before I tore the tank down for a move. The bottoms had started to get holey & die off.


The 2nd life of h. sibthorpioides - floating happily and looking very pretty from up top.


And here's a not-so-pretty pic of my 20H to show my h. leucocephala planted bottom right. gorgeous light green lily pad leaves w/delicate fringe of "roots". The sibthorpioides got tangled up and messy - I pruned/dumped the majority (stemmy bits) after this pic was taken.


Here's a close-up pic so you can see the pretty root fringe and delicately veined leaves.


And some floating h. leucocephala that didn't want to stay planted - fringe roots just starting to grow out (among salvinia minima).

 

[Hollygirl]

We got some at an auction over the weekend. What is the best way to plant it? It came potted and I just put it in one of the tanks for now.

I have Pennywort and even though I use Eco-Complete I had trouble with the roots rotting in the soil.

As an alternative you can buy one of those ring surface feeders with the suction cup. Apply the suction cup to where ever you want the base of the Pennywort. Then simply inter-twine the plant around the feeder ring. It will keep the plant in place and allow circulation around the entire plant. This technique also works for whatever floater type plant that you have, including Anacharis and Hornwort.

Pennywort is one of my favorites! It is attractive and it doesn't "shed" like other floaters.