Flora & Fauna

Limnophila aromatica is a stunning stem plant with leaves that shift from green to vibrant purple-red under high light and good iron supplementation. Used extensively in Dutch-style aquascaping, it provides brilliant colour contrast in the background.

Beautiful foreground or midground plant with distinctive clover-like leaves. Grows in a compact mound. Prefers slightly cooler water and good flow. One of the most unique-looking aquascaping plants.

Rotala H'ra is a popular cultivar producing small, narrow leaves that shift from green at their bases to vivid orange-red at the tips under high light, creating a stunning gradient effect in background plantings. It is less demanding than R. macrandra but rewards CO2 injection and iron dosing with exceptional coloration. Its fine texture and warm orange tones make it one of the most sought-after rotala varieties in competitive aquascaping.

Rotala rotundifolia is a classic stem plant for the background and upper midground of aquascapes, producing pink to reddish tones under high light and elevated CO2. Regular pruning encourages bushy side-shoot growth. Under low light the stems grow leggy and remain green.

A compact Rotala with narrow, lance-shaped leaves that turn a warm orange-red under good light and CO₂. Slower and more compact than R. rotundifolia, making it easier to maintain as a neat midground or background plant without constant trimming. The red-orange colouration develops even at moderate light levels with CO₂, making it more accessible than demanding species like R. macrandra. A versatile choice for adding red tones to mid-sized scapes.

Also known as stargrass, heteranthera zosterifolia has compact star-shaped leaf clusters around each stem, creating a distinctive texture unlike most aquarium plants. It branches freely when trimmed and creates lush, dense mid-background clusters under good lighting.

Distinctive for the sharp, spine-like stipules at each node that give it a starfish or thorny appearance. The leaves are narrow and light green. While not commonly seen in the trade, it creates a striking architectural element in natural-style aquascapes.

Staurogyne repens is a compact, low-growing stem plant with small, bright-green, slightly glossy leaves on creeping stems. Unlike most foreground carpet plants it tolerates moderate rather than high light, and does not require CO2 injection — though both improve density and lateral growth. It can be used as a carpeting plant in lower-tech setups or as a foreground bush, making it one of the most versatile and accessible 'carpet' plants for planted aquariums.

Eleocharis Vivipara, Umbrella Hairgrass, is uniquely different from other hairgrass species — when grown submerged its slender stems branch repeatedly into arching, umbrella-like tufts rather than simple grass blades, creating a highly textural midground accent. Each stem tip can produce plantlets that anchor to substrate, aiding natural propagation. It needs moderate light and benefits from CO2.