TankBud

Water hedge

Didiplis diandra

Also known as Peplis diandra, Water screw-stem

FreshwaterStemCuttingsSide shoots

Water hedge (Didiplis diandra)
Aquarium Plants Factory · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Light
High light
CO2
CO₂ beneficial
Temperature
72–82°F
22–28°C
Max height
11.8 in
30 cm
Growth rate
Fast
Placement
Midground
Type
Stem
pH
5.0–7.0
Hardness
2–10 dGH
Spread
1.6 in (4 cm)
Nutrient uptake
Root + water column
Growth region
Submersed or emersed
Difficulty
Difficult
Family
Lythraceae
Origin
Eastern and southeastern USA

Overview

Water hedge is a fine-textured stem plant for the midground, rated difficult. Its tips turn orange to red under strong light and stay green in dimmer tanks.

Did you know

Water hedge is one of the few stem plants that reads as fine and grassy. Aquascapers use it for soft texture contrast where a Rotala would look too round-leaved.

Caring for water hedge

Strip the lower leaves and push the stems into the substrate one at a time, a little apart. Keep the water at 72 to 82°F (22 to 28°C), with a pH of 5 to 7 and 2 to 10 dGH.

Water hedge needs bright light to hold its lower leaves. Without it, the base rots out and the stems go bald. CO2 is not required, though it speeds up growth.

It is a heavy feeder for iron and micronutrients, and pale plants signal an iron shortage. It takes food through both roots and leaves, so pair root tabs with a liquid fertilizer.

Growth is fast, so expect regular trimming. Trim the tops and side shoots and replant them to bush it out, and the stumps left behind grow new shoots.

Good to know

Water hedge's accepted name is Didiplis diandra, with Peplis diandra as a botanical synonym. It is the sole species of the small genus Didiplis, in the family Lythraceae. Its needle-fine, opposite leaves give it a soft, feathery look among its rounder relatives, Rotala and Ammannia.

In the wild

Water hedge is native to the eastern, southern and southeastern United States. It grows along the margins of ponds, lakes and slow-flowing waters. It is a marsh plant that grows emersed on damp banks as well as fully submersed.

Common questions

Does water hedge need to be planted in the substrate?

Yes. Strip the leaves from the lower part of each stem, then push the stems into the substrate one at a time, a little apart.

Does water hedge need CO2?

No, but it helps. Water hedge can grow without injected CO2, and added CO2 makes it grow faster.

How much light does water hedge need?

Water hedge needs high light from a strong planted-tank LED. In weaker light its stems stretch and drop their lower leaves.

Does water hedge need root tabs?

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

How do you propagate water hedge?

Water hedge propagates by cuttings and side shoots. Cut off the top of a stem and replant it, and the stump left behind grows new shoots. Cut a side shoot off once it has a few leaves and plant it on its own.

How tall does water hedge grow?

Water hedge grows to about 11.8 in (30 cm) tall. It grows fast, so expect to trim it often.

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