Floating ludwigia

Ludwigia helminthorrhiza

Also known as White-root floating ludwigia

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Floating ludwigia (Ludwigia helminthorrhiza) — (c) Patricio Novoa, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by

Care at a glance

Light: High light
CO2: No CO₂ needed
Temperature: 72–82°F; 22–28°C
Max height: 2 in; 5 cm

Growth rate: Medium
Placement: Floating
Type: Floating
pH: 6.0–7.5
Hardness: 2–12 dGH
Spread: 9.8 in (25 cm)
Nutrient uptake: Water column
Growth region: Submersed or emersed
Difficulty: Medium
Family: Onagraceae
Origin: A floating primrose willow from still and slow fresh waters of tropical Central and South America, spreading across the surface of ponds and flooded margins.

Overview

Leave it floating rather than planting it, and give it bright light to keep the growth compact and reddish. It feeds straight from the water column with no CO2 needed, mopping up nutrients that would otherwise feed algae. Thin the mat regularly so it does not shade rooted plants underneath.

In the wild

Ludwigia helminthorrhiza floats in mats of rounded green leaves that flush reddish under strong light. What sets it apart are the white, spongy, worm like breathing roots that dangle beneath each cluster. It creeps across the surface and can also climb onto wet edges as a marginal plant.

Good to know

The pale spongy structures under the leaves are pneumatophores, air filled breathing roots that both float the plant and take in oxygen. It is a member of the evening primrose family, the same group as the stem plant ludwigias.