Description
This bushy-growing stem plant sports a tremendously intensive light shade of green. Under strong light, the younger leaves may show a shade of reddish colour. With its soft, thin underwater leaves and its loose habit, Bacopa australis differs very much from Bacopa caroliniana and B. monnieri, whose leaves are significantly thicker and whose overall apperance is far more rigid.
Like any other bushy aquatic plant, B. australis may be trimmed with a pair of scissors. Please make sure the bush does not develop too dense a growth, or else the lower parts of the stems may die off as they do not get enough light. B. australis is propagated by cuttings, which grow to new plants quite soon after being planted.
Common names
Southern Bacopa
Complete botanical name
Bacópa austrális V. C. Souza
Family
Plantaginaceae
Genus
Bacopa
Difficulty
medium
Colour
light green
Usage
Background, Midground, Foreground, group
Aquascaping
well-branched, bushy
Height
10 – 40cm
Width
2 – 4cm
Growth
fast
pH value
5 – 8
Temperature tolerance
4 – 35°C
Carbonate hardness
0 – 21°dKH
General hardness
0 – 30°dGH
Propagation
Cuttings
Can grow emersed?
yes
Source
Flowgrow
Growing Bacopa Australis in Singapore Planted Tanks
Southern Bacopa is the fine, delicate member of the Bacopa family, with thin soft leaves and a loose, airy habit that contrasts nicely against chunkier stems. We like it as a mid-ground filler in nano and mid-sized tanks common in local homes, and it grows fast enough to fill space quickly once it settles. Under brighter light the young tips can flush a subtle reddish tone, giving a planted scape a touch of warmth without needing a demanding red species.
Being a fast grower, it appreciates regular trimming so the bush does not get too dense; if the lower stems are shaded out in our bright tropical tanks they tend to thin and drop leaves. Snip the tops, replant the cuttings, and they root again readily within a week or two. It is undemanding on water parameters and copes with our soft, slightly acidic tap water, though stable dosing and decent flow keep growth even and the foliage compact.
For trimming and replanting technique read our stem plant trim and replant guide, and for a planted look without injected gas see low-tech no-CO2 aquascaping. Browse companions in our live plants range.
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