Aquatic PlantsBeginner🌗 Medium light

Dwarf four-leaf clover

Marsilea hirsuta · also called Water clover, Hairy water clover, Four-leaf clover, Dwarf clover

🐾 Pet-safe

Generally non-toxic to cats and dogs.

A hardy carpeting fern that produces varied leaf forms, from single rounded blades to four-leaf clover shapes. Slow but very forgiving, it is an excellent low-tech foreground option.

Educational only. KinStation content is reviewed by licensed veterinarians but cannot replace an in-person exam. Always consult a licensed veterinarian or board-certified specialist for diagnosis, treatment, or any decision affecting your pet's health.

Quick facts

Category	Aquatic Plants
Family	Marsileaceae
Native origin	Australia
Care difficulty	Beginner
Light	Medium light
Pet toxicity	Pet-safe

Light

Low-to-medium light works (roughly 20-50 PAR). Under low light it tends to grow taller, single-leaf fronds; under higher light it stays short and may produce the multi-lobed 'clover' leaves and a denser carpet. Tolerant of a wide lighting range.

Water

Temperature 18-28 C, pH 6.0-7.5, soft to moderately hard water (very adaptable). Light water-column dosing is sufficient; it is not a nutrient-demanding plant.

Soil & potting

This is a fern that creeps via horizontal rhizomes (runners) just beneath the substrate surface; nutrient-rich substrate or root tabs speed it up but it manages in inert sand/gravel too. Plant small clumps and let the runners spread. Unlike epiphytic ferns (e.g. Java fern), this Marsilea is a substrate-rooting carpeter, so its rhizome runners are planted into the substrate rather than tied to hardscape. Press portions in firmly, as new growth can be slow to anchor.

Environment — humidity, temperature, placement

CO2 is not required and the plant does fine in low-tech tanks, though CO2 speeds growth and lowers the carpet. Gentle flow. Foreground-to-midground placement. Often grown emersed in nurseries; transitions slowly to submersed form (initial leaf melt/conversion is normal).

Propagation

Spreads by horizontal rhizomes (runners) that send up new fronds. Propagate by separating runners with attached leaves and replanting, or dividing the mat. Growth is slow, so patience is needed for full coverage.

Toxicity detail

Non-toxic and safe for fish, shrimp and snails. Not listed as invasive or regulated in the aquarium trade. As always, never release aquarium plants into the wild; bin trimmings.

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

Tropica - Marsilea hirsuta plant database (care guide)
Wikipedia - Marsilea (encyclopedia)