TankBud

Creeping Charlie

Clinopodium brownei

Also known as Micromeria brownei, Mint Charlie, Browne's savory, Creeping mint charlie

FreshwaterStemCuttingsSide shoots

Creeping Charlie (Clinopodium brownei)
Aquarium Plants Factory · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Light
Medium light
CO2
No CO₂ needed
Temperature
68–82°F
20–28°C
Max height
15.7 in
40 cm
Growth rate
Fast
Placement
Midground
Type
Stem
pH
6.0–7.5
Hardness
3–15 dGH
Spread
3.9 in (10 cm)
Nutrient uptake
Root + water column
Growth region
Submersed or emersed
Difficulty
Beginner
Family
Lamiaceae
Origin
Native to swamps, ditches, and slow streams from Florida and the southeastern United States through Central and South America.

Overview

Creeping Charlie is an easy, adaptable stem plant with rounded, scalloped light green leaves on branching stems. It is a good beginner stem plant.

Did you know

Crush a leaf of Creeping Charlie and you can smell a faint mint. The scent comes from aromatic oils, a giveaway that this aquarium plant belongs to the mint family.

Caring for Creeping Charlie

Strip the lower leaves of Creeping Charlie and push the stems into the substrate a little apart. It suits the midground or the background.

It grows in medium light without added CO2 and tolerates a wide range of water conditions. It feeds through both roots and leaves, so root tabs and a liquid fertilizer both help. Keep it at 68 to 82°F (20 to 28°C) with a pH of 6 to 7.5.

Underwater it grows fast and bushy, to about 16 in (40 cm), and takes trimming well. Trim it often and replant the cuttings, which root easily. Side shoots can also be cut off and planted on their own.

Good to know

Creeping Charlie's accepted name is now Clinopodium brownei, though it is still widely sold as Micromeria brownei. Its family is Lamiaceae. It is a true aquatic rather than a bog plant forced underwater.

In the wild

Creeping Charlie grows in swamps, ditches and slow streams from Florida and the southeastern United States through Central and South America. It sends up small light purple flowers when it reaches the surface.

Common questions

Does Creeping Charlie need to be planted in the substrate?

Yes. Strip the leaves from the lower part of each stem, then push the stems into the substrate one at a time, a little apart.

Does Creeping Charlie need CO2?

No. Creeping Charlie grows well without added CO2.

How much light does Creeping Charlie need?

Creeping Charlie wants medium light. A light sold for planted tanks covers it.

Does Creeping Charlie need root tabs?

They help. Creeping Charlie takes nutrients through both its roots and its leaves. Root tabs near its roots and a liquid fertilizer cover both.

How do you propagate Creeping Charlie?

Creeping Charlie propagates by cuttings and side shoots. Cut off the top of a stem and replant it, and the stump left behind grows new shoots. Cut a side shoot off once it has a few leaves and plant it on its own.

How tall does Creeping Charlie grow?

Creeping Charlie grows to about 15.7 in (40 cm) tall. It grows fast, so expect to trim it often.

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