Herbaceous flowering plants are one of the most spectacular aspects of decorating your tank. A variety of flowering aquarium plants that belong to different families, habitats, etc. Plantation, blooming, care, and management are the key aspects of growing these plants. You will find all of these things, along with the 5 easiest aquarium plants with flowers, in this article.
Content Table
herbaceous flowering plants
Herbaceous Flowering Plants in Aquariums
Plants without woody steam are called herbaceous plants. These plants are widely used for decoration with their flowers, foliage, etc. They grow in various conditions, such as on land, in water, and in marshy lands.
There are numerous herbaceous flowering plant species for aquiaurm. It is hard to cover all of them. Here are some widely used species, their families, and habitats.
| Common name | Scientific name | Family | Habitat |
| Anubias | Anubias barteri | Araceae | West African shallow streams and rivers |
| Dwarf Anubias | Anubias nana | Araceae | West African shallow streams and rivers |
| White water-lily | Nymphaea Alba | Nymphaeaceae | Still or slow-moving water bodies of the temperate Northern Hemisphere and south to the mountains of the Asian tropics |
| Water hawthorn | Aponogeton distachyos | Aponogetonaceae | South African herbs that grow in ponds |
| Creeping primrose-willow | Ludwigia repens | Onagraceae | Tropical waters of North and Central America |
| Amazon Sword | Echinodorus amazonicus | Alismataceae | Ponds and slow-moving water bodies in South America |
| Large Amazon Sword | Echinodorus grisebachii | Alismataceae | Ponds and slow-moving water bodies in South America |
| Water Wisteria | Hygrophila difformis | Acanthaceae | Wetlands and rivers of South Asia |
| Spiral Vallisneria | Vallisneria spiralis | Hydrocharitaceae | Throughout the world in freshwater streams |
| American Eelgrass | Vallisneria americana | Hydrocharitaceae | Rivers and lakes in North America |
| Bucephalandra | Bucephalandra sp. | Araceae | Rivers and streams of Borneo |
| Lace Plant | Aponogeton ulvaceus | Aponogetonaceae | Freshwaters of Madagascar |
| Hornwort | Ceratophyllum demersum | Ceratophyllaceae | Freshwater lakes, ponds, and rivers throughout the world |
| Carolina Fanwort | Cabomba caroliniana | Cabombaceae | Slow-moving waters of North and South America |
| Dwarf Sagittaria | Sagittaria subulata | Alismataceae | Rivers and marshes of North and South America |
| Asian Marshweed | Limnophila sessiliflora | Plantaginaceae | Southeast Asian wetlands |
How to Grow Herbaceous Flowering Plants in Planted Tanks?
When growing herbaceous plants, you must focus on several aspects, such as growth, care, and management. It includes plant selection, light requirements, water parameter optimization, substrate requirements, and compatibility with living species in the tank. Some aquatic plants grow in semi-submerged conditions along with fully submerged plants.
Plant Selection
Numerous herbaceous flowering plants can be grown in your tank. The previous section discusses some very commonly used herbaceous plants. When selecting a plant, remember various aspects. These include the light requirement, water temperature tolerance, flower and plant size, coloration, and hardiness.
Tank Preparation
Tank preparation involves the preparation of the substrate, water parameters, and lighting.
- Select such substrate that is nutrient-rich or plant-specific material.
- Research the light spectrum, intensity, and duration of your selected plant. Turn it on for 10 to 12 hours per day during flowering.
- Maintain water temperature, pH, ammonia level, etc., according to the plant.
aquarium plants with flowers
Plantation
- Decide the plant growing location according to aesthetics and other plant growth requirements, i.e., light, water flow, etc.
- Burry the rooted plants in the substrate.
- Leave the floating plants, e.g., Amazon Frogbit, on the water’s surface.
Maintenance
After plantation, it’s time to take care of them. Here are some key aspects.
- Trim your plants at regular intervals. It’ll help to maintain a balance in your tank.
- Add liquid fertilizer to maintain the nutrient balance for your plants.
- Check the water parameters, i.e., pH, water temperature, hardiness, etc., twice a week. Maintain it in case of any disturbance.
- Change 10 to 20% of water weekly.
Considerations
Here are some key considerations that you should remember.
- Always grow plants that are compatible with fish. If you have nibbling siblings, avoid growing delicate flowering herbaceous plants.
- Keep an eye on the algae growth. Keep it within limits to avoid algae bloom. For that, maintain the C: N ratio in the tank.
- Always grow such plants that easily accommodate in the tank.
- Maintain the proper flow rate.
- Avoid dead spots at the plant location.
flowering aquarium plants
Blooming Herbaceous Flowering Plants
Blooming herbaceous flowering plants in a tank requires a combination of care aspects. Some plants are forgiving, while others need frequent parameter optimization. Once you meet their requirements, you will observe the true beauty of these flowers.
Steps to Encourage Blooming
Lighting
Provide the required light intensity to your plant. Some plants, like Nymphaea, Aponogeton, etc., need strong and intense light, while others grow well at low to moderate light intensity. Maintain the proper photoperiod, i.e., turn on the lights for 10 to 12 hours daily in flowering season.
Nutrient
Nutrients are inevitable for blooming. Use such liquid fertilizers that have an appropriate dose of nutrients. It contains nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and trace elements, e.g., iron, magnesium, etc.
Add nutrient-rich substrate. Otherwise, root tabs are a good option for these plants, i.e., grow your plants in nutrient tabs. Apply supplemental CO2 to your plants on flowering and robust growth.
Water Parameter Optimization
Maintain the water temperature within limits. Each plant has different light requirements, e.g., tropical plants grow well at 22–28°C. Similarly, stable pH is also necessary. It’s usually 6.5–7.5. Regularly clean the tank and remove organic waste and excessive nutrients. Feed only food that fish can consume within 5 minutes.
Avoid or Minimize Stress
Avoid any sudden change in the tank’s parameters, as it can severely damage plant growth. And maintain proper tank flow.
Care Table for Different Herbaceous Flowering Plants
Here is a plant care table for different aquarium plants with flowers.
| Species | Light Requirements | Temperature(°C) | pH | Hardness(°dGH) |
| Anubias | Low to moderate | 22 – 28 | 5.5 – 8.0 | 5 – 12 |
| Dwarf Anubias | low to medium | 22 – 28 | 6.0 – 7.5 | 5 – 12 |
| White Water-lily | 6-hour direct sunlight | 10 – 21 | 6 – 7 | 4 – 11 |
| Water Hawthorn | Medium to high | 1-24 | 6 – 7.5 | 3 – 8 |
| Creeping Primrose-willow | Medium to high | 24- 26 | 5–7.5 | 6 – 8 |
| Amazon Sword | Moderate to high | 22- 28 | 6.5 – 7.5 | 8-12 |
| Large Amazon Sword | Moderate to high | 22-28 | 6.5 – 7.5 | 8-12 |
| Water Wisteria | Moderate to high | 24 – 28 | 6.0-8.0 | 6 |
| Spiral Vallisneria | Low | 20 – 28 | 6.0-8.0 | 4 – 18 |
| American Eelgrass | Medium to High | 10–20 | 5.0 – 8.0 | 4 – 18 |
| Bucephalandra | Low to medium | 21 – 26 | 6.0 – 7.5 | 3 – 12 |
| Lace Plant | Low to medium | 18 – 27 | 6.0 – 7.5 | 10 – 20 |
| Hornwort | Medium to high | 15 – 30 | 6.0 – 7.5 | 3-17 |
| Carolina Fanwort | High | 13 – 27 | 5.7 – 9.2 | 4 – 12 |
| Dwarf Sagittaria | Moderate to high | 20 – 26 | 6.5 – 7.5 | 2-14 |
| Asian Marshweed | Low | 20 – 26 | 5.5 – 8.5 | 0–30 |
The Easiest Herbaceous Flowering Plants to Grow in an Aquarium
Herbaceous flowering plants that are easy to maintain, forgiving, and beautiful are the most awaited plants for beginners. Here are some of the easiest herbaceous flowering plants to grow in an aquarium.
Amazon Sword
| It’s an incredibly adaptable plant that can withstand a variety of water parameters. It requires low light, shows growth in various substrates, and forgives beginner mistakes. It requires low to moderate light, which helps you save big bucks on high-powered lighting.
They can easily propagate and allow you to shift the new plant to another location. No specialized growth medium is required. It can grow in gravel, sand, and various other substrates. However, Amazon sword need frequent pruning due to a fast growth rate. However, it also gives pleasure to aquarists by giving them a sense of accomplishment. |
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Anubias
| Anubias is another beginner-friendly herbaceous flowering plant due to its forgiving nature. It requires low to medium light conditions for suitable growth, which makes it cost-effective for beginners. Its slow growth rate reduces the frequent pruning and other maintenance problems.
It shows great resilience toward the water parameter, i.e., it can survive in a wide range of temperature, pH, hardness, etc. Moreover, it can withstand minor nutrient fluctuation. It also does not require a substrate, as it can grow on rock or driftwood. |
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Water Wisteria
| Water Wisteria is another beginner-friendly option among herbaceous flowering plants. It can survive in low intensity. However, it shows optimal growth at medium to high light intensity. It can grow in various substrates, e.g., dirt, sand, gravel, and a mixture of gravel, aqua-soil, backed clay, and sand.
However, it requires frequent maintenance due to a fast growth rate. It’s a suitable background plant in large aquariums due to its taller size. On transfer to the new tank, initially, it shreds all leaves and regrows new lacy and bright green leaves. |
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Hornwort
| Hornwort is also a beginner-friendly herbaceous flowering plant. It doesn’t require any substrate as it freely floats around the water column. It provides cover to fish fry with its green leaves. Hornwort tolerates fluctuations in water parameters. It has easy propagation, i.e., reintroduce the clipping in the tank.
Initially, it requires frequent maintenance due to a fast growth rate. However, maintenance drops when the plant is fully established in the tank. It shows optimal growth rate at a wide range of water parameters that make it a sweetheart for beginners. |
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Dwarf Sagittaria
| Aquariums with limited lighting love Dwarf Saittaria as it requires low lighting intensity. It shows optimal growth in a wide range of water parameters, i.e., temperature, pH, hardness, etc. It requires a nutrient-rich substrate with traces of iron, as iron deficiency affects its growth. However, it requires frequent pruning and trimming due to a fast growth rate. It propagates through runners. |  |
Wrapping Up
Anubias, Dwarf Anubias, White water-lily, Water hawthorn, etc., are some herbaceous flowering plants that will help you to beautify your tank. Carefully select the plant, prepare your tank, do plantation, and maintain it regularly. Install proper lighting, apply nutrients, check the water parameters, and avoid stress factors for blooming. Never forget about caring for your aquarium plants with flowers. Amazon Sword, Anubias, Water Wisteria, Hornwort, and Dwarf Sagittaria are beginner-friendly flowering aquarium plants.
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