Ludwigia repens
Ludwigia repens is a long-time mainstay of the aquarium hobby. It has been used in planted aquariums since the earliest days of aquarium keeping in the U.S. It is a hardy, beautiful and relatively easy to maintain plant, even in tanks with lower amounts of light and without supplemental CO2. Under these conditions, the plant will have longer internodes (the “stem” between groups of leaves) and will tend to hurry toward the surface, then branch profusely on the surface, where it can optimize access to both light and atmospheric CO2. In a CO2 supplemented tank with good nutrient support, it will still tend to have this upward-branching growth habit, but the glossy red and olive leaves make it worth the work needed to keep it trimmed back!
Common Name: Broad leafed Ludwigia (and others)
Family Name: Onagraceae
Native To: North America
Lighting: Moderate
Requirements: Undemanding, but responds positively to good conditions
Growth Form: Stem
Growth Rate: Fast
True Aquatic: Yes
Placement in Tank: Background, or further forward with regular trimming.
Available As: Bunch, Potted