Attitude:
very easy, good for beginners
Breed:
via side shoots or by dividing the root balls
Size:
up to 25 centimeters high, large spread due to creeping growth
Temperature:
20 to 28 degrees Celsius
pH:
6 to 7.8
GH:
soft to medium hard
Look
Pennywort aquarium plant Photo: Norbert Heidbüchel
A member of the umbellifer family, the American Pennywort has a sturdy stem, umbrella-like leaves with a heart-shaped base, and is leathery to the touch.
The plants grow up to 25 centimeters in height, express a variety of leaves and have a generally creeping habit. Hydrocotyle verticilliata does not necessarily have to have ground contact, but can also be used as a floating plant in the aquarium, as which it serves well as a hiding place for young fish and complements the habitat in the aquarium.
distribution
The American pennywort is particularly found in the subtropical regions of North America, Hawaii, Central and South America, and in the wetter regions of Africa.
However, it is also found in Papua New Guinea and in the subtropical parts of Australia, and has even been found in Spain. The plants grow both completely covered by water and on the wet banks of rivers, lakes, ponds, ditches and streams.
husbandry conditions
Hydrocotyle verticilliata is relatively easy and undemanding to keep and can therefore also be cultivated by beginners. The plant thrives particularly well in water with a temperature of around 20 to 28 degrees Celsius and a pH of 6.0 to 7.8.
The plant needs a lot of light and develops a stockier and more compact growth habit with increasing lighting. The plant comes into its own both in plant groups and as a solitary plant and is also very well suited for the middle area in large to very large aquariums. Pennywort reproduces via side shoots, but can also be propagated by dividing the root ball.
particularities
Because of its umbrella-like leaf shape and creeping growth, the American pennywort is also called the hat fungus plant.