Ludwigia marsh

Ludwigia marsh or Ludwigia palustris, scientific name Ludwigia palustris. The natural habitat covers all continents with the exception of Antarctica and Australia, but in the latter, it was introduced as an aquarium plant and later got into the wild. It is found along the shores of not deep freshwater reservoirs, both in the underwater and on the surface.

This species is extremely variable and has several deduced decorative forms. For example, an ornamental variety with red leaves is called Ludwigia Red (Ludwigia mullertii). The plant grows up to half a meter in height and has oval elongated pointed leaves, located two on each tier. As noted above, the leaves can be red or plain green. In the surface position, it is not uncommon for the appearance of flowers with four green sepals and four yellow stamens, no petals. The absence of petals is the main difference from another almost identical species of Ludwigia repens, which has them. It reproduces, like most stem plants, with the help of side shoots, or by dividing the stem into two. The cut off part is planted in the ground and soon gives roots.

Ludwigia marsh needs a high level of light, although it can grow in moderate light, but in this case the stem and leaves are stretched. It is also desirable to use soil rich in nitrates and phosphates and additionally introduce carbon dioxide. Otherwise, it is quite unpretentious, able to withstand significant fluctuations in temperature and hydrochemical pH and dGH values.