Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Dwarf sagittaria
Sagittaria subulata (L.) Buchenau
5–30 cm
Height in the aquarium
low to high
Light
medium
CO₂ needs
18–28 °C
Ideal temperature
Water parameters
Understand these values- Position
- background, midground
- Propagation
- runners
- Grows emersed
- yes
In the wild
Overview
This arrowhead forms rosettes of ribbon-like leaves and spreads quickly by runners. It can make a carpet, but its height varies a lot: a dense planting can produce much longer leaves than a sparse group. Small white flowers sometimes appear on floating stalks.
- Scientific name
- Sagittaria subulata (L.) Buchenau
- Classification
- Alismatales › Alismataceae
- IUCN Red List
- Not evaluated (NE)
Natural habitat
North America, tropical South America
Observations (GBIF) and localities Native countries Introduced in Rivers and lakes
- Native countries
- Introduced by people
Outside its native range, in 8 countries:
An aquarium plant must never reach the wild: throwing away cuttings or emptying a tank into a stream can be enough to establish it.
Countries: Kew World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP). Dots: GBIF observations in the native countries.
In the aquarium
Growing in the aquarium
It accepts moderate light and fairly hard water, with or without CO₂. A rich substrate or good feeding in the water supports growth. Yellowing leaves can signal a lack of iron. Thin the runners if you want to keep a low planting; the label “pusilla” does not guarantee a permanently dwarf plant.
Sources:Flowgrow Tropica GBIF POWO (Kew) · Base map: Natural Earth