Creeping bacopa

Bacopa australis

Also known as Southern bacopa, Bacopa sp. 'Australis', Creeping water hyssop

FreshwaterStemCuttingsSide shoots

Creeping bacopa (Bacopa australis) — (c) Nicola Crockford, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by

Care at a glance

Light: Medium light
CO2: No CO₂ needed
Growth rate: Fast
Placement: Midground
Type: Stem
Temperature: 64–82°F (18–28°C)
pH: 6.0–7.5
Hardness: 2–15 dGH
Max height: 7.9 in (20 cm)
Spread: 3.9 in (10 cm)
Nutrient uptake: Root + water column
Growth region: Submersed or emersed
Difficulty: Easy
Origin: Native to marshes and pond edges in subtropical southern Brazil and Uruguay.
Family: Plantaginaceae

Overview

Creeping bacopa is undemanding and grows without CO2 in medium light, though it stays lowest and densest under bright light. It works in the midground or, with strong light, as a loose foreground carpet. Trim it regularly so the mat does not get so thick that the lower stems die back.

In the wild

Bacopa australis has small, rounded light green leaves on thin stems that grow horizontally under good light. In the wild it creeps across damp ground and shallow margins, rooting as it spreads. Under bright light it stays low and dense enough to form a loose carpet.

Good to know

Bacopa australis is a member of the plantain family, Plantaginaceae. The species name australis means southern, a nod to its subtropical South American range. It is one of the few Bacopa species that grows horizontally rather than straight up.