Hygrophila serpyllum

Also sold as Serpyllum

Hygrophila serpyllum is a stem plant for the foreground, growing to about 15 cm (5.9 in) at a fast pace. It wants 68–82°F (20–28°C), medium light and CO₂ if you have it, and counts as a medium-difficulty plant to keep alive.

At a glance

Type	Stem plant
Light	MediumThe least light it survives in, not the light it looks best in.
CO₂	RecommendedWhether it survives without added CO₂ — not whether CO₂ would help it grow faster.
Difficulty	Medium
Temperature	68–82°F (20–28°C)
Max height	15 cm (5.9 in)Grown submersed, left to mature, never trimmed.
Growth rate	Fast
Placement	planted in the foreground
pH	6–7.5

Before it goes in

Hygrophila serpyllum needs medium light. Under a low-light LED it thins out instead of filling in.
CO₂ is not required, but without it expect slow growth and a thinner result.
In too little light it stretches: long bare stems between leaves instead of a bushy plant.
Its leaves are soft: Goldfish, Common Pleco and Molly will eat it.

Can it grow without CO₂?

Yes, but slowly. Hygrophila serpyllum is listed as CO₂-recommended, not CO₂-required: without injection it survives and grows, it just takes far longer to fill in.

How much light does it need?

Medium light — and that is the survival line, not the “it looks better” line. Below it, this one stretches instead of spreading.

How big does it get?

About 15 cm (5.9 in) tall when it is mature and untrimmed, growing fast, after roughly 2 weeks to root in.

Will my fish eat it?

Its leaves are soft, so some will: Goldfish, Common Pleco and Molly.

What it goes with

Plants that run on the same light and CO₂, so they can share a tank without one of them being the odd one out: Water Sprite, Anubias nana 'Petite', Cryptocoryne wendtii and Dwarf Hairgrass Mini.
Animals that share its temperature range and will not eat or uproot it: Betta, Cherry Shrimp, Angelfish and Bristlenose Pleco.

Often compared with

	Hygrophila serpyllum	Hygrophila corymbosa 'Compact'	Hygrophila lancea 'Araguaia'
Light	Medium	Low	Medium
CO₂	Recommended	Not needed	Recommended
Max height	15 cm	15 cm	20 cm
Difficulty	Medium	Easy	Medium

More plants

Plan a tank with Hygrophila serpyllum →

Sources (3) · checked Sep 2026