Umbrella Hair Grass

Eleocharis vivipara

Umbrella Hair Grass (Eleocharis vivipara) is a rosette plant for the background, growing to about 40 cm (15.7 in) at a fast pace. It wants 68–82°F (20–28°C), medium light and CO₂ if you have it, and counts as an easy plant to keep alive.

At a glance

Type	Rosette 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	Easy
Temperature	68–82°F (20–28°C)
Max height	40 cm (15.7 in)Grown submersed, left to mature, never trimmed.
Growth rate	Fast
Placement	planted in the background
pH	6–7.5

Before it goes in

Umbrella Hair Grass 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.
It feeds through its roots, so in plain sand or gravel it needs root tabs; in an aquasoil it does not.
At about 40 cm (15.7 in) it belongs behind everything shorter — planted at the front it hides the rest of the scape and shades it.
Its leaves are medium: Goldfish, Electric Yellow Lab and Colombian Ramshorn Snail will eat it.

Can it grow without CO₂?

Yes, but slowly. Umbrella Hair Grass 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.

How big does it get?

About 40 cm (15.7 in) tall when it is mature and untrimmed, growing fast, after roughly 3 weeks to root in.

Will my fish eat it?

Its leaves are medium, so some will: Goldfish, Electric Yellow Lab and Colombian Ramshorn Snail.

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: Hygrophila corymbosa 'Siamensis', Water Sprite, Anubias nana 'Petite' 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

	Umbrella Hair Grass	Giant Hairgrass	Corkscrew Val
Light	Medium	Low	Low
CO₂	Recommended	Not needed	Not needed
Max height	40 cm	42.5 cm	40 cm
Difficulty	Easy	Easy	Easy

More plants

Plan a tank with Umbrella Hair Grass →

Sources (3) · checked Sep 2026