Great Bacopa (Bacopa caroliniana): easy and fragrant plant for aquarium, trashcan garden, and pond
A versatile plant: submerged and emerged
The Great Bacopa is a robust amphibious plant. Its thick leaves release a very surprising lemon scent when crushed. It grows both underwater and above water, and flowers easily (small mauve 4-petal flowers) as soon as it can emerge, in open aquariums or ponds. Outdoors, its creeping stems root on moist banks and form cushions of beautiful bright green.
Why include the Great Bacopa?
- Easy and tolerant: no CO2 required, indifferent to substrate (even simple sand).
- Unique lemon scent and small decorative flowers.
- Suitable for low-tech aquarium, trashcan garden, and pond.
- Cutting is child’s play (cut and replant) and horizontal layering is possible, as the plant roots at each node.
- Wide temperature range: 5 to 30 °C (avoid frost on emerged parts).
- Foliage can take on coppery hues under strong light. Otherwise, bright tender green.
- Can tolerate slightly brackish water.
Planting and cultivation tips
- Plant stems in small groups to form dense clusters.
- Light from low to strong; the brighter it is, the more pronounced the growth and coloration.
- Prune regularly to control height and replant the cuttings. Or let it emerge in an open aquarium.
- In ponds: let the stems run along the waterlogged banks. Remove excess if needed.
- Before winter, protect from frost: the plant regrows from the base that remains frost-free at the bottom of the water.
Possible uses
- Low-tech aquarium: midground or background plant, possible flowers in open tanks.
- Summer trash terrarium: fast growth, easy flowering, easily emerges.
- Pond & wet banks: creeping stems, forms decorative ground-cover cushions.
- Aquaponics / hydroponics: very adaptable plant, its strong growth consumes nitrates.
FAQ - Giant Bacopa (Bacopa caroliniana)
Is CO2 needed?
No, it grows very well without CO2 injection.
What size can it reach?
In pond up to 1 m of stem. In aquarium, about 30 to 50 cm.
Is it cold-resistant?
The emerged parts are frost-sensitive. Keep a base frost-free (under sufficiently deep water) or indoors to restart in spring.
Is the lemon scent easily noticeable?
The scent is noticeable when crushing the leaves during trimming or maintenance, and all parts of the plant produce this very distinct and strong fragrance.
Can it tolerate slight salinity?
Yes, it can tolerate slightly brackish water.
Additional information
- Scientific name: Bacopa caroliniana (syn. B. amplexicaulis)
- Plant type: fragrant amphibious plant
- Light: low to high, its growth being proportional to light intensity.
- Temperature: 5 to 30°C. It does not tolerate frost if it reaches the base.
- Size: 30 to 50 cm in aquarium (can emerge in an open tank). 1 meter in pond for its creeping stems.
- Packaging: 3 stems (approximate weight: 10 g).
- Guarantee: without rock wool or any artificial substrate of any kind.
- Recommendation: As a precautionary principle, please never release this plant into the wild. It is not native to our regions and should normally not naturalize, but we must protect our ecosystems.
