Marsh ludwigia
Ludwigia palustris
Also known asMarsh seedbox · Water purslane · Hampshire purslane
Water parameters
Light and nutrients
Substrate type: nutrient preferred. Propagation: stem cuttings.
Substrate compatibility
| Substrate | pH effect | Nutrient load |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Inert sand (Pool filter sand) | neutral / inert | none |
| Inert gravel (Aquarium gravel) | neutral / inert | none |
With fish
Origin and habitat
A small red-stemmed plant of the evening-primrose family, Onagraceae, Ludwigia palustris, the marsh seedbox, water purslane or Hampshire purslane. It is one of the most widespread Ludwigia species, near-circumpolar, native through Europe to the Mediterranean and Iran, across Africa from the Horn to South Africa, and through North America south to Venezuela and the Caribbean, in marshes, ditches, pond margins and slow streams; it has also naturalised, sometimes invasively, in Hawaii, Australia and New Zealand. The semi-succulent stems are reddish, with small oval leaves in opposite pairs, green to olive submersed and reddening under strong light; the 'Super Red' form was selected for intense colour. It is one of the few red aquarium plants native to both North America and Europe and tolerates cooler water than most tropical red stems. It crosses readily with L. repens, and many regional forms add to trade confusion.
Outdoor pond use
- USDA zones
- 4–10 (winter low around -34°C or warmer)
Care notes
An easy red stem plant that delivers colour without high demands. It grows from low to high light, but the red only shows under moderate to strong light with good iron; in dim light it stays green. CO2 is not essential but markedly improves colour and density, and the single biggest factor for vivid red is iron, dosed by liquid fertiliser or iron-rich root tabs, helped by adequate nitrate and phosphate. Plant stems in groups of five or more, trim the tops and replant to propagate, and the cut stems throw side shoots. Growth is moderate, steadier and less rampant than Hygrophila. It handles a wide temperature span, roughly 15–28°C, tolerating cooler water than most red stems, which suits unheated tanks, and a broad pH and hardness range. It is a good first red plant for someone moving on from an all-green tank. It is an ornamental, not a crop, so it is unsuited to media-bed aquaponics or hydroponics.