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Contents
Overview
Marsilea hirsuta is an Australian aquatic fern that, when grown underwater, produces small, simple, rounded light green leaves that hug the substrate. Grown emersed, or under very strong light, it develops the classic four-lobed leaves that earned it the name "water clover."
It is one of the easiest carpeting plants out there: it grows in low-tech tanks without CO2, under modest light and in a wide range of water types. Growth is slow, so it is not the plant for a carpet in a month, but it is a great choice for a green, low-maintenance foreground in a community or shrimp tank.
Care and tank setup
Water clover is very forgiving, but its slow pace takes patience. What it really needs is a substrate that holds nutrients and no shade from taller plants.
- Light: low to medium. More light gives tighter, faster growth.
- CO2: optional; with CO2 it carpets much sooner, but it is perfectly workable without.
- Substrate: fine sand, small gravel or aqua soil; add root tabs if the substrate is inert.
- Planting: split the pot into pieces with 2-3 leaves and roots, bury them lightly without covering the leaves and space them about 1.5 inches apart.
- Placement: foreground or gaps between rocks where light reaches the bottom.
Expect it to sit still for a few weeks while it roots; that is normal. Avoid heavy diggers during this phase and keep the tank cycled and stable. Four-lobed leaves appearing underwater usually mean the light is quite strong.
Fertilizing and trimming
It gets by on very little: root tabs every 2-3 months in inert substrates and a moderate weekly dose of liquid fertilizer. It hardly needs trimming; just remove old or damaged leaves and cut back runners that wander where you don't want them. If it gets very dense, thin out a few sections so water can circulate.
Propagation
It spreads by creeping rhizomes that run along or just under the substrate surface, putting out new leaves and roots at every node. To propagate it, cut off pieces of rhizome with a few leaves and replant them. Emersed plants can form sporocarps, but in the aquarium reproduction is always vegetative.
Recommended equipment
What you need to keep the Marsilea hirsuta healthy, checked against Amazon stock.
Frequently asked questions
What light and CO₂ does Marsilea hirsuta need?
Light: low. CO₂: optional (helps). Growth: slow.
Is it a good plant for beginners?
Yes: it’s one of the easiest plants and forgives mistakes with light and fertilizing.
