Japanese cress

Cardamine lyrata

Also known as Chinese ivy, Bittercress, Lyre-leaf cress

FreshwaterStemCuttingsSide shoots

Japanese cress (Cardamine lyrata) — batra3x · CC BY 2.0

Care at a glance

Light: Medium light
CO2: No CO₂ needed
Growth rate: Fast
Placement: Midground
Type: Stem
Temperature: 59–79°F (15–26°C)
pH: 6.0–7.5
Hardness: 3–15 dGH
Max height: 17.7 in (45 cm)
Spread: 3.9 in (10 cm)
Nutrient uptake: Root + water column
Growth region: Submersed or emersed
Difficulty: Easy
Origin: Native to wet meadows, ditches, and stream margins across China, Japan, and Korea in temperate East Asia.
Family: Brassicaceae

Overview

Japanese cress is an easy, fast plant that does not need CO2 and grows in low to medium light, filling out faster under stronger light. Use it in the midground or as a loose background, and keep it in a cooler tank for its best, larger leaves. Trim the trailing stems often and replant tops, since it can shade plants below it.

In the wild

Japanese cress produces trailing stems lined with rounded, slightly scalloped light green leaves and long white anchor roots at the nodes. It grows along cool stream banks and wet ditches, often scrambling over mud and rocks. Cooler water encourages larger leaves, while warmer tanks produce smaller foliage.

Good to know

Cardamine lyrata is a member of the mustard family, Brassicaceae, alongside true cresses and cabbages. The species name lyrata refers to the lyre-shaped lower leaves. Like its relatives it produces small four-petalled white flowers above the water.

Did you know

The same plant grows tiny leaves in a warm tropical tank but noticeably larger ones when kept cool, so you can change its look just by adjusting temperature.