TankBud

Dwarf water clover

Marsilea crenata

Also known as Dwarf four leaf clover, Water clover, Marsilea minuta

FreshwaterCarpetingRunnersRhizome division

Dwarf water clover (Marsilea crenata)
Show ryu · Public domain

Care at a glance

Light
Medium light
CO2
No CO₂ needed
Temperature
64–82°F
18–28°C
Max height
2 in
5 cm
Growth rate
Medium
Placement
Foreground
Type
Carpeting
pH
6.0–7.5
Hardness
2–15 dGH
Spread
3.9 in (10 cm)
Nutrient uptake
Root + water column
Growth region
Submersed or emersed
Difficulty
Easy
Family
Marsileaceae
Origin
Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia and surrounding region)

Overview

Dwarf water clover is one of the most forgiving carpeting plants, and it suits low-tech tanks.

Did you know

Dwarf water clover is a vegetable as well as an aquarium plant. In Indonesia its young emersed shoots are harvested and eaten.

Caring for dwarf water clover

Split dwarf water clover into small clumps for the foreground. Press each rhizome flat along the substrate and let it creep, leaving gaps for it to fill.

It carpets in medium light with no added CO2. Bright light keeps it low and compact, while shade lets it grow a little taller. It feeds through both roots and leaves, so root tabs and a liquid fertilizer both help. Keep the water between 64 and 82°F (18 to 28°C).

It grows at a moderate pace, to about 5 cm tall, and spreads by runners. Cut a runner plant free once it has roots, or divide the rhizome of an established mat to spread it further.

Its leaves change shape as it converts from emersed to submersed growth, which is normal and not a sign of trouble. Submerged, it often drops to a single rounded lobe per stalk and looks nothing like a clover.

Good to know

Dwarf water clover is a true fern in the family Marsileaceae, not a flowering plant, so its clover look is pure coincidence. In nature it reproduces by spores rather than seeds. It spreads through a creeping horizontal rhizome that sends down roots and pushes up new fronds along its length. The trade often mixes it up with the very similar Marsilea hirsuta.

In the wild

Dwarf water clover is an aquatic fern from Southeast Asia, including Indonesia and Malaysia. It grows in rice paddies, ditches and marshy ground that floods and dries on a seasonal cycle. It is amphibious, with four-lobed, clover-like leaves above the water.

Common questions

Does dwarf water clover need to be planted in the substrate?

Yes. Split it into small clumps and push each one into the substrate with tweezers, leaving gaps for it to fill.

Does dwarf water clover need CO2?

No. Dwarf water clover grows well without added CO2.

How much light does dwarf water clover need?

Dwarf water clover wants medium light. A light sold for planted tanks covers it.

Does dwarf water clover need root tabs?

They help. Dwarf water clover 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 water clover?

Dwarf water clover propagates by runners and rhizome division. New plants grow along its runners. Cut one free once it has roots and plant it. Cut the rhizome into pieces with several leaves each, then tie or plant each piece.

How tall does dwarf water clover grow?

Dwarf water clover grows to about 2 in (5 cm) tall. It grows at a moderate pace.

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