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Floating ludwigia

Ludwigia helminthorrhiza

Also known as White-root floating ludwigia, Ludwigia helminthorrhiza (Mart.) Hara

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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
Growth rate
Medium
Placement
Floating
Type
Floating
Temperature
72–82°F (22–28°C)
pH
6.0–7.5
Hardness
2–12 dGH
Max height
2 in (5 cm)
Spread
9.8 in (25 cm)
Nutrient uptake
Water column
Growth region
Submersed or emersed
Difficulty
Medium
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.
Family
Onagraceae

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.

Did you know

The species name helminthorrhiza means worm shaped root, a nod to the pale spongy roots that let it breathe while drifting on the surface.

Appears in

High-light plants · No-CO2 plants · Floating plants

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