Aquatic PlantsBeginner🌗 Medium light

Bacopa

Bacopa caroliniana · also called Lemon bacopa, Blue waterhyssop, Carolina bacopa

🐾 Pet-safe

Generally non-toxic to cats and dogs.

A hardy, slow-but-steady stem plant with thick succulent oval leaves arranged in pairs, releasing a faint lemon scent when crushed. Extremely forgiving and ideal for beginners.

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Quick facts

Category	Aquatic Plants
Family	Plantaginaceae
Native origin	Southeastern United States
Care difficulty	Beginner
Light	Medium light
Pet toxicity	Pet-safe

Light

Grows under low to high light. Low/medium light gives green, upright growth; high light brings out coppery to reddish tops. Its slow growth means it tolerates lower light without becoming leggy as quickly as faster stems.

Water

Temperature 18-28 C (64-82 F), pH 6.0-8.0, soft to hard water (GH 3-15). Very adaptable, including to harder water. Light water-column dosing keeps it healthy; it is not a heavy feeder.

Soil & potting

A rooted stem plant (not an epiphyte) with fairly sturdy roots. Grows in any substrate; aquasoil or root tabs boost growth but are not essential. Plant individual stems into the substrate.

Environment — humidity, temperature, placement

CO2 is optional and not required; it grows fine without it, just slowly. Use in the midground or background. Tolerates low to moderate flow. Grows readily emersed (a common nursery form) and submersed; emersed growth is often sturdier and more compact.

Propagation

Propagate by topping and replanting cuttings; the base produces side shoots. Cuttings root reliably. Its slower growth means less frequent trimming than most stem plants.

Toxicity detail

Non-toxic and safe with fish, shrimp, and snails. Native to the southeastern US; not considered an aquarium-trade invasive, but as with all aquatic plants do not release into the wild — dispose of trimmings in the trash.

Growth stages

How this plant changes through its life — each stage often has its own care, diet and space needs.

Photo coming soon

Spore / recruit

Aquatic plants and macroalgae establish from spores, seeds, or drifting fragments that settle and attach to substrate or rock. Many freshwater aquarium plants and marine macroalgae also spread readily from a detached piece that takes root or holdfast.

Photo coming soon

Young growth

Young growth puts out its first blades, fronds, or leaves and anchors with roots or a holdfast. Submersed plants may look different from their emersed form, and growth speeds up as the plant adapts to the water's light and nutrients.

Mature

A mature aquatic plant or macroalga reaches its full size and characteristic shape, forming the dense growth, runners, or fronds typical of the species. Established plants spread to fill space and can be divided or trimmed to propagate.

Sources

Bacopa caroliniana - Tropica Aquarium Plants (care guide)
Bacopa caroliniana - Wikipedia (encyclopedia)