Ambulia
Limnophila sessiliflora
Also known asAsian ambulia · Dwarf ambulia · Asian marshweed
Water parameters
Light and nutrients
Substrate type: inert ok. Propagation: stem cuttings.
Substrate compatibility
| Substrate | pH effect | Nutrient load |
|---|---|---|
| Inert sand (Pool filter sand) | neutral / inert | none |
| Inert gravel (Aquarium gravel) | neutral / inert | none |
| Aquasoil (ADA Amazonia) | lowers pH | very high |
| Mineralized clay substrate (Seachem Fluorite) | neutral / inert | moderate |
| Dirted tank (mineralized topsoil) (DIY soil substrate) | slightly acidic | very high |
With fish
Origin and habitat
A feathery stem plant of the family Plantaginaceae, Limnophila sessiliflora, known as ambulia, dwarf ambulia or Asian marshweed. It is native from the Indian subcontinent through temperate East Asia and Java, in marshes, rice paddies, ditches and slow waterways, and grows either submersed or emergent, with different leaf forms in each. Whorls of finely divided bright-green leaves line each stem, giving the same soft, airy look as Cabomba but on a much easier plant, which is why it is the standard recommendation for anyone who struggles with Cabomba. Stems reach 30–50 cm and branch freely into dense bushy backgrounds. It has long been a cheap, common aquarium plant, but it has also escaped into warm southern US waterways and naturalised, and it is regulated as a noxious weed in some jurisdictions, so commercial sale is restricted in places.
Outdoor pond use
- USDA zones
- 8–13 (winter low around -12°C or warmer)
Care notes
An easy feathery stem plant that succeeds where Cabomba fails, mainly because it tolerates low light. It grows in low to high light with no CO2, though CO2 makes it bushier, faster and redder, and the fine leaves resist the dieback and shedding that plague Cabomba in marginal water. Plant stems in groups of five to eight, and growth is fast, up to a centimetre a day in good light, so trim weekly and replant the tops; the cut lower stems throw lots of side shoots and the plant gets bushier each cycle. Strong light tightens the leaf whorls into a dense feathery mass, while low light stretches the internodes and thins it out, and pale new growth signals iron shortage. It also grows floating, the stems running horizontally with trailing roots that make great fry cover. Keep it around 22–28°C in soft to moderately hard water. Because it naturalises so readily, never release it, and check local rules, since it is restricted as a noxious weed in some US states. Where legal it is one of the best easy background plants for a soft, natural look. It is an ornamental, not a crop, so it is unsuited to media-bed aquaponics or hydroponics.