What plants will grow submersed and emersed?

[bluerose]

Specifically... what plants would look really cool growing up to the water level as well as having growth at the surface?

Am having little luck googling, unfortunately.

Low-maintenance only please... not interested in CO2 (although dosing with Excel would be OK).

 

[mgamer20o0]

almost ever single plant out there fits this. there are very few out there that grow submersed all year long in the wild.

 

[bluerose]

While googling I did find that... but dwarf hairgrass doesn't quite fit the bill, for example.

I guess it would be better to look for plants that will have the height I'm looking for?

 

[Jennabob]

Water Wisteria (hygrophila difformis) is pretty low maintenance, and will grow, and if I'm reading right, possibly flower above the waterline. The lower leaves blacken and fall off from time to time, but they're easy enough to pick out.

I have some in my own tank, and while I've never let it get above the waterline, it grows like nothing I've ever seen

 

[mgamer20o0]

how tall are you looking for?

 

[Robert H]

I agree, most aquatic plants will grow above water, but most of them look entirely different above water than below, entirely different leaf structure. Also many plants will loose most of their underwater leaves when growing above water, so you would have bare, ratty looking stems below water.

Are you looking for plants with interesting flowers or something else?

 

[kaiofcanada]

I have a few suggestions....first is the red tiger lotus or green tiger lotus. Both of these plants are beautiful, albeit larger, and have a submersed form that is beautiful. See pictures in my gallery of the foliage. They will grow a stalk which you can choose to prune or let grow, which will eventually form a flower at the surface. The flower is beautiful. I wish I had taken a picture of the last one.

The second is the Radican Marble Queen Sword. This is a very tall sword with long bladed leaves. It will span a good deal of height in your tank and produce a flower that can bloom submerged or at the water surface. These are two I have in my tanks currently.

I also have Purple Cabomba, which grows fairly tall and I have to prune regularly. If I let it grow it will produce long stalks which then float against the surface current and also produce small white flowers towards the apical stems that last for one day each. This plant is less a surface plant as much as it can achieve great height.

Another consideration is brazilian pennywort. I would love to have this. I have seen people do very nice things with it in their tank. Some root it and let it grow to the surface and float there. Others let it grow suspended.

 

[Robert H]

I love pennywort!

 

[krap101]

If you look at some of the amano pics, pennywort+dwarf hairgrass=amazing.

I have some bacopa that will reach the top of the tank (from 3/4 down) in about 1-2 weeks, and I'm trying to grow it outside now. (I think its made the transition)