Water Wisteria
Hygrophila difformis · family Acanthaceae
- Light
- Medium
- CO₂
- Not required
- Temperature
- 22–28 °C
- pH
- 6–8
- Hardness
- 2–20 °dGH
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Height
- up to 50 cm
- Placement
- Background
- Root feeder
- No
Pros and cons
- Striking dissected leaf shape
- Adapts quickly to a new tank
- Propagates from leaf shoots
- Heavy nitrate consumer
- Needs medium or bright light to keep its decorative shape
- Prone to potassium deficiency — yellows
Description
Leaf shape changes with conditions: submerged — dissected 'fern-like'; emersed — rounded. A classic ornamental background plant.
Care
Medium light, no CO₂ needed. Under weak light heterophylly is lost and leaves become plain ovals.
FAQ
- Why are my water wisteria leaves becoming solid (not dissected)?
- Low light, or it's growing emersed (above water). Boost the lighting and the dissected leaf shape returns.
AuthorGoldie Editorial
Goldie editorial team
Practising aquarists with a combined 30+ years of experience · Biologists and editors, fact-checking against FishBase and Seriously Fish · Every piece is reviewed by a qualified ichthyologist before publication
Reviewed byGoldie Science Board
Scientific board — ichthyologists and veterinarians
Ichthyologists and veterinarians with university degrees · Reference FishBase, Seriously Fish and peer-reviewed literature · Sign every reviewed article with their credentials shown
Sources
- Wikipedia: Hygrophila difformis · Wikipedia · 2026-05-22