Bacopa caroliniana

Overview

Bacopa caroliniana, better known as lemon bacopa, is a classic stem plant that is tough and very easy. It grows straight stems with thick, fleshy, paired leaves in a light green that takes on coppery or bronze tones near the top under strong light. Crush a leaf and you will notice a distinct lemon scent, which explains its common name.

It is native to the southeastern United States, where it grows in marshes and along shorelines, both submersed and emersed. Hobbyists like it because it handles a wide range of temperatures and hardness, grows in a neat upright way and does not need CO2. It is ideal for beginners who want a stem plant that will not run wild, and even for unheated tanks in mild climates.

Care and tank setup

It looks great in the midground or background, in rows of stems that form a column of rounded leaves.

• Light: medium. It grows even in low light, just slower and with longer gaps between leaves; in high light it becomes compact and coppery.
• CO2: optional. It boosts growth but is not essential.
• Substrate: any gravel or sand works; an aquasoil or root tabs speed things up.
• Planting: single stems about an inch apart, lower leaves removed; planting them in tight bunches rots the base.

It tolerates hard water better than many stem plants, which makes it useful if your tap water is high in calcium. Because it grows slowly, keep an eye out for algae settling on its leaves. Large herbivorous fish and big snails may chew on it, though it usually holds up.

Fertilizing and trimming

It gets by on a basic liquid fertilizer plus a few root tabs; if new leaves come in yellow, add iron. Since it grows slowly, trimming is occasional: cut the top when it nears the surface and replant it. For a bushier group, pinch the tips so the stems branch.

Propagation

It propagates from cuttings: snip 3-4 inch tops, strip the leaves from the bottom two nodes and plant them; they root reliably, if more slowly than other stem plants. The remaining base sends out side shoots. It can also be grown emersed in a humid terrarium. Never dump trimmings into streams or ponds.

Recommended equipment

What you need to keep the Bacopa caroliniana healthy, checked against Amazon stock.