Hottonia palustris
Hottonia palustris
A beautiful green plant with bushy, feathery leaves and a very flexible growth habit that can be controlled by strategic pruning. It is one of the most flexible aquarium plants whose growth habit and size can be determined simply by how you trim it. Mature speciments will develop a rhizome-like structure which will produce shoots for a plant that is often wider that it is tall.
Hottonia palustris is suitable for both large and small aquariums and can be used in many areas. It is a fairly undemanding plant that will do well in a wide range of aquarium conditions and is well suited to beginners and experts alike. While it does not require CO2, it will benefit like most plants.
Despite bearing a superficial resemblance to other other feather-leaf plants such as Dwarf Ambulia It tends to stay short, preferring to grow below the substrate in a rhizome which sends of new shoots. It is probably closest to M. Guyana in growth habit and use for the foreground and midground of most aquariums.
Originating in Europe and Northern Asia, Hottonia Palustris is well adapted for cooler temperatures and is suitable for coldwater tanks including those with goldfish. In fact it prefers cooler water and does best in long term temperatures below 25C.
This is an extremely versatile and undemanding addition to any aquascape and easily appreciated by beginners and pros alike. We enthusiastically recommend this plant to nearly anyone!
QUICK NOTES:
Difficulty: Easy
Type: Stem plant with feathery leaves, creeping rhizome and flexible growth habit
Size: Generally less than 20cm in height. Pruning will keep the plants much shorter and bushier. Individual stems are generally 4cm wide but plants can grow pretty wide through a rhizome type structure
Position and Usage: Foreground to background placement depending on how the plant is pruned and grown.
Growth rate: Moderate to Fast
Lighting: 2/5 – 5/5
Water Conditions: 1 - 25°C (34 - 77°F)
CO2: Not required but will result in faster, denser growth.
Propagation: Cuttings, lateral shoots from rhizome, rhizome division
Description
Also referred to as Hottonia milllefolium, Hottonia palustris is a submerged marsh plant first described and named in 1753 in honor of 17th century botanist P. Hotton. It occurs naturally in temperature areas of western Eurasia as a perennial that regenerates from a rhizome-type structure rooted in the substrate.
In nature, the submerged stems are erect and can grow quite long (up to a meter) before they produce the structures upon which flowers eventually grow. Shoots are known to branch many times near the base - a characteristic that makes this an excellent choice for a feather-leaf plant that grows densely with many branches at the base without getting too tall.
Hottonia palustris is and has been a more common plant in the European aquarium trade for a while. Not to be confused with its North American cousin, H. inflata, H. palustris is a fantastic plant for cold-water aquariums and ponds. It likes cool water and will do best if temperatures are kept below 25C for long periods of time. It requires neither CO2 nor especially high lighting though it certainly does benefit from both by growing faster, producing more robust and dense foliage and developing thicker rhizomes.
Traditionally, it is considered a fantastic foreground plant which tends to grow outward rather than upward though it is also extremely flexible and if allowed to, will make for a great background plant. It is propagated through cuttings and “lateral shoots” that branch off the rhizome.
MORE INFO TO COME...
