The basics of aquarium plants: Aquarium plants for the middle ground - stem plants

Also among the stem plants there are species that do not grow as high as others and also tolerate pruning very well. In the middle ground of larger aquariums, for example, they can be grown as a beautiful bush. To do this, they must be cut back regularly and the stem plants thus trained to a bushy growth.

Stem plants can easily be propagated by cuttings. To do this, cut off a 10-15 cm long shoot and simply stick it about 3-4 cm deep into the ground. If you do not cut off the lower leaves completely, but leave the leaf stalks, they will act like barbs and hold the stem plant in the ground. When planting, leave 3-4 cm of space between the stems so that the plants do not take each other's light.

Stem plants are a bit more work in the middle ground, they usually grow faster than rosette plants or perched plants, and they also like more light and nutrients than these slow growing aquatic plants. But they are good for some unique visual eye-catcher effects: red foliage or particularly beautifully shaped leaves and of course a dense, bushy growth make very good in the middle ground of the aquarium.

In the following you will find a selection of the most popular stem plants for the aquarium middle ground.

Staurogyne 

Staurogyne from South America are relatively new to the hobby. They do not grow very tall and are quite slow growing. The plants grow quite dense and bushy and are not very difficult to maintain. They are perfect for the middle ground in a nano aquarium and also fit very nicely in an iwagumi, for example, where they add a nice looseness to the strict grass landscape.

Staurogyne repens - Creeping Staurogyne(InVitro)

The intense green Creeping Staurogyne grows to a height of 3-10 cm. It needs good light and should be pruned a little regularly to grow nice and bushy.

Staurogyne sp. "Porto Velho" - Porto Velho Staurogyne

The leaves of this Staurogyne are a little narrower than those of Staurogyne repens, but in terms of creeping growth habit it is comparable. The color is rather blue-green, under much light also a little reddish. 

Ludwigia - Ludwigias or hayweeds

Ludwigias are stem plants, some of which are intensely red in color. They are quite easy to care for, provided they are supplied with sufficient light and nutrients as well as CO2. Ludwigias tolerate pruning very well, so they can be kept nice and bushy with regular pruning.

Ludwigia glandulosa (formerly: Ludwigia perennis) - Red Star Ludwigia(pot)

The dark red to wine red colored star ludwigia from North America grows medium fast, reaches 15 to 40 cm in height and fits beautifully into the middle ground of rather large aquariums. One of the most beautiful red-leaved aquarium plants, provided it has plenty of light. Under less light, the leaves may turn green.

Ludwigia repens (muellertii) - Muellerts Ludwigia, Creeping Ludwigia(InVitro)

A North American Ludwigia with green leaves and sometimes reddish or green leaf undersides that grows to about 50 cm tall. It shapes well by pruning and can also be grown as a bush in the midground. Regular pruning allows Mullerts Ludwigia to become nicely bushy and is well tolerated.

Ludwigia repens "Ruby" - Ruby Ludwigia(pot)

This variety of the Low Ludwigia also comes from North America. It captivates with ruby red leaves and stems. The plant grows to a height of 5-15 cm and can thus be used nicely in the middle ground of smaller aquariums.

Ludwigia sp. "Dark Orange", Ludwigia sp. "Atlantis" - Dark Orange Ludwigia, Atlantis Ludwigia(InVitro/Pot)

This Ludwigia comes from the aquatic plant nursery "Atlantis", where it was found and selectively propagated by Tomas Kaliebe. It shows a brownish yellow-orange to rich dark orange depending on the amount of light. The leaf veins are clearly visible, in the land form this is even more pronounced than in the underwater form. It grows 40-60 cm tall, but tolerates pruning extremely well and can be grown into a beautifully branched bush in the middle ground.

Ludwigia palustris "green" - Light green Ludwigia(bunch)

The light green Ludwigia grows about 10-40 cm high and can be kept in shape by regular trimming. Especially for the middle ground of rather large tanks it is a very good choice. Even without CO2 this worldwide common Ludwigia becomes a magnificent plant.

Alternanthera - parrot leaves

The genus Alternanthera has some very expressively colored red-leaved to pink-leaved representatives, which are amazingly undemanding and let their colors shine in the aquarium even without CO2 fertilization. This stem plant is optimal for the middle ground in the aquarium, because it does not grow so tall and also reacts well to pruning. The species Alternanthera reineckii from South America has numerous attractive varieties.

Alternanthera reineckii - Broad-leaved red parrot leaf(pot)

This Alternanthera develops the most intense colors with good light and a CO2 fertilization, but it is also good to keep without additional CO2. With 20-50 cm growth height it fits very well in the middle ground of higher aquariums. It responds to pruning with branched, bushy growth.

Alternanthera reineckii "Bronze" - Narrow-leaved parrot leaf(pot)

Optimal for olive to reddish-brown accents in a planted aquarium is this variety of parrot leaf. With 20-40 cm height it fits perfectly in the middle ground. With CO2 and plenty of light, the plant becomes very colorful.

Alternanthera reineckii "Lilacina" / Alternanthera reineckii "Lila" - Purple parrot leaf(InVitro/Pot)

The olive-green to brown-red upper side and the purple stems and leaf undersides are extremely attractive eye-catchers in the aquarium. This parrot leaf grows about 25-50 cm tall and does well with acidic to neutral pH levels.

Alternanthera reineckii "Mini" - Mini Parrot Leaf(InVitro)

This particularly small remaining red-leaved Alternanthera is still a fairly new variety. With only 5 cm growth height it is perfect for the middle ground in the nanoaquarium!

Alternanthera reineckii "Pink" - Pink-leaved parrot leaf(InVitro)

In this parrot leaf, the underside of the leaf is a brilliant pink, while the top is a bright brown-red. Under intense light the plant remains much more compact, a growth height of 20-50 cm is possible.

Alternanthera reineckii "Rosanervig" / Alternanthera reineckii "Red Ruby" - Rosanervig parrot leaf(pot)

In this Alternanthera, the leaf veins of the reddish-brown leaves are much brighter and radiate pink. The undersides of the leaves are also bright pink. Growth is a bit slower than other parrotleafs, and the plant also remains a bit more compact overall at 20-30 cm in growth height.

Limnophila - marsh friend

The rather slow-growing species from the genus Limnophila also do not grow as tall as other stem plants. They can be kept in check well by pruning and thus fit perfectly into the middle ground of a planted aquarium as well. The red-leaved varieties need a supply of CO2, macronutrients and micronutrients and strong light for intense colors.

Limnophila aromatica - Aromatic marsh friend(pot)

This plant gets its name from its pleasant fragrance that rises when the leaves are rubbed. In its native Southeast Asia, it is used as a spice herb and as a base for herbal tea. It grows up to 30 cm high. The leaves have a striking toothed edge. The underside of the green leaves is bright purple in good conditions.

Limnophila hippuridoides - fir frond-like marsh fern(pot)

At 20-50 cm tall, this marsh friend from Southeast Asia is perfect for the middle ground of taller aquariums. This uncomplicated aquarium plant has green leaves with reddish-purple undersides that turn completely reddish-purple in high light. Pruning is well tolerated, the plant should be thinned out regularly.

Limnophila aquatica - Giant marsh friend(pot)

This fast growing stem plant from Asia grows 25-50 cm tall and is nice for the middle ground in very large tanks. It can also be kept small in smaller tanks by pruning, although this is a bit more laborious than with other marsh friend species. The giant marsh friend grows very fast and is well suited for use against algae plagues

Hygrophila - water friend

Water friends are rather undemanding, robust stem plants for the aquarium, which grow very well even without CO2 and with medium strong light. Thanks to their final size, they usually fit well in the middle ground of larger planted aquariums. In less tall tanks, they can be grown in a bush shape by regular pruning. This trimming is tolerated extremely well.

Hygrophila polysperma "Sunset" / Hygrophila polysperma "Rosanervig" - Sunset Water Lily(InVitro greennerved/pot)

The brownish leaves of this plant, which originates from India, have lighter colored leaf veins that glow intensely bright to pink. Overall, under strong light, the leaves turn pink. At 20-40 cm tall, this interestingly colored stem plant does not grow very tall, making it ideal for the middle ground in tall, large planted aquariums.

There is also a green water friend variety with light colored leaf veins.

Hygrophila polysperma - Indian Water Lily(pot)

The Indian Water Lily can turn reddish under a lot of light and with a good supply, otherwise the lanceolate leaves remain green. This fast-growing plant can be grown as a beautiful branched bush for the middle ground with regular pruning.

Hygrophila pinnatifida - Pinnate Water Lily(pot)

We have described this beautiful perching plant in detail in our blog about perching plants in the middle ground.

Bacopa - Buttercups

The fat leaves are quite undemanding stem plants for the aquarium, which cope very well with pruning and can therefore be kept well in the middle ground.

Bacopa caroliniana - Carolinian fat leaf, large fat leaf(InVitro/Pot)

The fat leaf from the USA grows to a height of about 30 cm and can also be kept smaller by appropriate pruning. Under much light the shoot tips turn brownish.

Bacopa monnieri 'Compact' - Compact Buttercup, Small Buttercup(pot)

The dwarf form of the Small butterwort from West Africa grows rather creeping and grows only 3-10 cm high - this makes it also interesting for the middle ground in the nano aquarium.
Under a lot of light it grows most compactly, with less light the growth becomes more upright and the plant goes more in the height.

Pogostemon - Starwort

Many of the common star plants in aquaristics come to us from Asia or Australia / Oceania. They have beautiful star-shaped leaves and with an appropriate pruning routine fit great even in smaller aquariums.

Pogostemon erectus - Upright Star Plant(InVitro/Pot)

The light green Indian star plant grows only 40 cm high and tolerates pruning very well. It is therefore super suitable for the middle ground of larger aquariums. The fine leaf needles are light green.

Pogostemon helferi - Daonoi, Starwort, Small Water Star(InVitro/Pot/OnLava)

This small starwort from Thailand fits perfectly into the middle ground of nano aquariums with a growth height of 5-10 cm. The light green, crinkled leaves provide a great eye-catcher.

Pogostemon quadrifolius / Pogostemon stellatus "Octopus" - Four-leaved water star(pot)

This fast growing, undemanding stem plant is a novelty on the market. The interesting leaf shape and the growth height of about 40 cm makes it a nice eye-catcher in the middle ground of large aquariums. It tolerates pruning very well.

Pogostemon stellatus - Whorled Star Plant, Star Rotala(InVitro/Pot)

Pogostemon stellatus from Australia and Oceania can grow 15-50 cm tall, under strong light the shoots remain stockier. The star plant tolerates pruning without problems and can therefore also be grown into a beautiful bush in the middle ground. The beautiful star-shaped leaves are not pure green, with good nutrient supply and plenty of light they turn a magnificent reddish brown. Soft water is a must as well as CO2.

Pogostemon stellatus "Broad Leaf" - Broad-leaved star plant(InVitro)

The "Broad Leaf" variant has broader leaves than the parent form Pogostemon stellatus. The broad-leaved variant is somewhat more robust

Lindernia rotundifolia  - Round-leaved boxwort(Pot)

The light marbled light green Round-leaved Bushwort from Asia is exceptionally easy to cultivate and can be beautifully shaped for the middle ground by pruning. It grows only 20-30 cm high.

Hottonia palustris - Water Feather(InVitro/Pot)

The beautiful pinnate leaves of the water feather are great to look at in the middle ground. At 10-30 cm tall, this stem plant from Europe is perfect for smaller aquariums. The growth habit is broadly bushy, which is well supported by regular pruning.