TankBud

Dwarf sagittaria

Sagittaria subulata

Also known as Dwarf sag, Awl-leaf arrowhead, Narrow-leaved arrowhead, Sagittaria subulata var. subulata

FreshwaterBrackishRosetteRunners

Dwarf sagittaria (Sagittaria subulata)
Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz · CC BY-SA 4.0

Care at a glance

Light
Low light
CO2
CO₂ beneficial
Temperature
64–82°F
18–28°C
Max height
11.8 in
30 cm
Growth rate
Fast
Placement
Foreground
Type
Rosette
pH
6.0–8.0
Hardness
2–18 dGH
Spread
3.1 in (8 cm)
Nutrient uptake
Root + water column
Growth region
Submersed or emersed
Difficulty
Beginner
Family
Alismataceae
Origin
Eastern USA and South America

Overview

Dwarf sagittaria is a grass-like rosette plant that spreads into a low carpet in the foreground. It is a beginner plant.

Did you know

Dwarf sagittaria tolerates brackish water. In parts of its native US range it grows in tidal zones with measurable salinity, which is unusual for a popular freshwater carpeting plant.

Caring for dwarf sagittaria

Plant dwarf sagittaria as single rosettes a few centimeters apart in the foreground or low midground. Bury the roots and leave the crown just above the substrate. The runners then knit the rosettes together into a carpet.

It grows in low light without CO2, and it handles 64 to 82°F (18 to 28°C). Added CO2 and brighter light make it shorter, denser and faster to fill in. It yellows quickly when short of iron. It feeds through both roots and leaves, so pair root tabs or a nutrient substrate with a liquid fertilizer.

Dwarf sagittaria grows fast and spreads by runners. Height is the main pitfall, since in a deep tank it can shoot up tall and stringy. Trim the runners and thin the patch to keep a low lawn, and replant any runner plant you cut free once it has roots.

Good to know

Dwarf sagittaria is a true Sagittaria in the arrowhead family, Alismataceae, and is related to the larger arrowhead plants despite its slim submerged form. Emersed plants can throw up arrowhead-shaped aerial leaves and small white three-petaled flowers, which is how the genus got its common name. Leaf width and final height vary a lot between populations and growing conditions. Trade material ranges from short, narrow forms to broad-leaved plants over 30 cm tall.

In the wild

Sagittaria subulata grows wild along the eastern seaboard of the United States and into South America. It lives in fresh and brackish marshes, ponds, slow rivers and tidal creeks. It roots in soft mud and spreads sideways by runners, often forming dense submerged lawns.

Common questions

Does dwarf sagittaria need to be planted in the substrate?

Yes. Bury the roots and leave the crown, where the leaves join, just above the substrate.

Does dwarf sagittaria need CO2?

No, but it helps. Dwarf sagittaria can grow without injected CO2, and added CO2 makes it grow faster.

How much light does dwarf sagittaria need?

Dwarf sagittaria is a low-light plant, and the light that comes with a standard tank kit is enough for it.

Does dwarf sagittaria need root tabs?

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

How do you propagate dwarf sagittaria?

Dwarf sagittaria propagates by runners. New plants grow along its runners. Cut one free once it has roots and plant it.

How tall does dwarf sagittaria grow?

Dwarf sagittaria grows to about 11.8 in (30 cm) tall. It grows fast, so expect to trim it often.

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