Giant bacopa

Care at a glance

Overview

A tough, forgiving background stem plant that grows in low light without CO2, making it a good beginner choice. Growth is steady rather than rampant, so it stays tidy and needs little trimming, but stronger light, CO2 and iron will bring out bronze, copper and reddish tops. Plant stems individually in the substrate, and propagate simply by cutting the tops and replanting them. The moderate pace means it rarely overruns a tank.

In the wild

Native to the southeastern United States, where it is very common in Florida and the Gulf states, growing in marshes, wet ditches and pond edges. It thrives both emersed as a bog plant and fully submersed, handling a wide range of pH and temperatures including cool water down to around 13 C.

Good to know

A member of the plantain family Plantaginaceae and a relative of the medicinal Bacopa monnieri. Its thick, succulent oval leaves are arranged in opposite pairs along a sturdy stem, and the whole plant gives off a distinct lemon or lime scent when the leaves are crushed, which is the source of the name lemon bacopa.

Did you know

Did you know the leaves of giant bacopa smell like lemon or licorice when you crush them, a quirk that earns it the common name lemon bacopa even though it is a relative of the herbal supplement plant Bacopa monnieri.

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