Acmella repens

Overview: Commonly known as creeping spot flower or opposite leaf spot flower, Acmella repens belongs to the sunflower family, Asteraceae. It is native to the southern half of Alabama and has recently gained popularity as an aquarium plant. It can be found growing on river banks, wet ditches, and pond edges. The creeping prostrate stems of Acmella repens make it perfect for tanks and add to the appearance and overall look. It gets adapted to the aquarium culture easily and beautifies it. The easy maintenance and exotic look make it one of the best plants for the aquariums.

Appearance: Acmella repens can be grown as a mid-ground or background plant as it has creeping prostrate stems. These stems can root when coming in contact with the soil and intensify. When grown in water, the floating stems also sometimes produce roots which look very beautiful in the aquarium. The stems are green or reddish in color and pubescent. Since the common name is the opposite leaf spot flower, the leaves emerge oppositely. The leaves have toothed margins that make the plant more exotic. Although it produces small yellow flowers, they emerge only in the dry locations. It is the reason why Acmella repens can be grown in completely aquatic or semi-aquatic conditions.

Hard/soft plant: It is a soft plant but easily adapts to the aquarium culture.

Ideal water temperature: The plant can thrive well under the temperature range of 20 to 30 degrees.

Lighting conditions: Acmella repens prefer full or partial sun and plenty of water for flourishing. Under intense lighting conditions, the plant shows bushier growth. It gets compact under partial light. However, both the conditions make it favorable for the tanks. Moderate or dim light may stunt growth.

Ideal pH level: pH ranging between 6 to 8 is perfect for Acmella repens. However, even if the water conditions fluctuate a bit, the plant will easily survive.

Do you know: You can propagate Acmella repens from the rooted sections of the stems. The seeds are also available. The plant is not subjected to melting and is an ideal plant for the aquariums.