Common nardoo

Marsilea drummondii

Also known as Nardoo, Australian nardoo, Common water clover, Four-leaf clover

FreshwaterCarpetingRunnersDivision

Common nardoo (Marsilea drummondii) — Mark Marathon · CC BY-SA 4.0

Care at a glance

Light: Medium light
CO2: CO₂ beneficial
Temperature: 64–82°F; 18–28°C
Max height: 4.7 in; 12 cm

Growth rate: Slow
Placement: Foreground
Type: Carpeting
pH: 6.0–7.5
Hardness: 2–15 dGH
Spread: 7.9 in (20 cm)
Nutrient uptake: Root + water column
Growth region: Submersed or emersed
Difficulty: Easy
Family: Marsileaceae
Origin: An aquatic clover fern widespread across inland Australia, growing in claypans, floodplains, and slow water that dries out between seasons.

Overview

Common nardoo is an easy, slow-growing carpeting fern for the foreground.

Did you know

Common nardoo spore pods were ground into flour by Aboriginal Australians. Eaten unprocessed, the plant carries an enzyme that destroys vitamin B1. That enzyme is thought to have contributed to the deaths of the explorers Burke and Wills.

Caring for common nardoo

Split common nardoo into small portions and push each into the foreground substrate with tweezers, leaving gaps. The rhizome then creeps outward into a loose carpet.

It needs only medium light and is undemanding. It grows without injected CO2, but CO2 with a rich substrate helps it carpet faster and stay compact. 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 slowly, to about 12 cm, and rarely needs much trimming. Trim off taller emergent leaves to keep the growth low and tidy. New plants form along its runners, and a large clump can be split into smaller ones.

Underwater the leaves usually drop from four leaflets to one or two, held low over the substrate. That is a normal response to being submerged.

Good to know

Common nardoo is a fern in the family Marsileaceae, though its leaves look like four-leaf clovers. It reproduces by spores held in hard capsules called sporocarps, not by seeds.

In the wild

Common nardoo is widespread across inland Australia. It grows in claypans, floodplains and slow water that dries out between seasons. Its leaves float on the surface or carpet damp ground as the floodwaters recede.

Common questions

Does common nardoo 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 common nardoo need CO2?

No, but it helps. Common nardoo can grow without injected CO2, and added CO2 makes it grow faster.

How much light does common nardoo need?

Common nardoo wants medium light. A light sold for planted tanks covers it.

Does common nardoo need root tabs?

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

How do you propagate common nardoo?

Common nardoo propagates by runners and division. New plants grow along its runners. Cut one free once it has roots and plant it. Split a large clump into smaller ones and plant them separately.