TankBud

Needle hairgrass

Eleocharis acicularis

Also known as Needle spikerush

FreshwaterCarpetingRunners

Needle hairgrass (Eleocharis acicularis)
Aquarium Plants Factory · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Light
Medium light
CO2
CO₂ beneficial
Temperature
59–79°F
15–26°C
Max height
7.9 in
20 cm
Growth rate
Medium
Placement
Foreground
Type
Carpeting
pH
5.5–7.5
Hardness
1–14 dGH
Spread
5.9 in (15 cm)
Nutrient uptake
Root + water column
Growth region
Submersed or emersed
Difficulty
Easy
Family
Cyperaceae
Origin
Near-global (Europe, Asia, North America)

Overview

A grassy carpeter that spreads aggressively by underground runners to form a lawn. Plant small bunches of a few blades each, spaced out, and let the runners fill the gaps over several weeks. Bright light keeps it growing horizontally and dense; in low light it stretches tall and thin and the carpet opens up. CO2 is not required but roughly doubles the speed of filling in. Trim the lawn with scissors to a uniform height to keep it tidy and encourage thickening.

In the wild

An almost globally distributed spikerush found across Europe, Asia, and North America in ponds, ditches, lake margins, and slow rivers. It grows both submersed and emersed and is hardy enough to overwinter outdoors in temperate climates. Tolerates a wide range of water from soft to fairly hard.

Good to know

A true sedge in the family Cyperaceae, related to other Eleocharis spikerushes used in the hobby such as E. parvula and E. montevidensis. The thin green blades are not leaves but photosynthetic stems (culms); the true leaves are reduced to sheaths at the base. This species, sometimes called the taller acicularis form, reaches greater height than the smaller dwarf and 'Mini' selections.

Did you know

Did you know mowing a hairgrass carpet short with scissors actually thickens it, because each cut blade triggers the plant to push out more runners and new shoots.

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