Pennywort (Hydrocotyle)
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Hydrocotyle leucocephala, commonly known as Brazilian Pennywort, is one of the most versatile and visually striking stem plants in the aquascaping hobby. With its distinctive round, coin-shaped leaves and vigorous, adaptable growth, Pennywort brings a lush, layered quality to any planted aquarium. Whether trained as a mid-ground accent, allowed to float freely across the surface, or guided up the background, it adapts effortlessly to the aquarist's vision — making it an ideal choice for beginners and experienced aquascapers alike.
Portion Size: 1 stem bunch.
Key Features
- Distinctive round, coin-shaped leaves with a bright, vibrant green colouration
- Extremely adaptable — can be grown as a stem, floater, or surface plant
- Fast-growing and forgiving — ideal for beginners and high-demand tanks
- Excellent natural nitrate and nutrient export, supporting water quality
- Creates lush, layered mid-ground and background structure
- Safe for shrimp, fish, and all aquarium inhabitants
Care Requirements
Light: Low to High
CO₂: Not Required (benefits from supplementation)
Temperature: 20–28°C
pH: 6.0–7.5
Growth Rate: Fast
Difficulty: Easy
Aquascaping Applications
Pennywort is a remarkably flexible aquascaping plant suited to a wide range of layout styles. Planted as a stem in the mid-ground or background, it creates a lush, cascading wall of round leaves that softens hardscape and adds organic movement to the composition. Allowed to float, it provides natural surface cover that diffuses light beautifully and offers refuge for fry and surface-dwelling species. Its rapid growth also makes it an excellent companion plant for new setups, helping to outcompete algae during the critical cycling phase while the aquascape establishes.
Pro Tip:
To encourage compact, bushy growth, trim the tops regularly and replant the cuttings — Pennywort propagates effortlessly and will quickly fill in gaps throughout the layout. For a dramatic floating canopy effect, simply allow trimmed stems to drift freely at the surface and watch them develop into a dense, coin-leaf ceiling above your aquascape.
Note:
As a living plant, Pennywort requires separate handling and shipping considerations. Please review our shipping policy for plant-specific delivery information.
Acclimation: Float the bag in your tank for 15 minutes to equalise temperature, then plant directly in substrate.
Lighting: Most aquatic plants thrive at 0.5+ watts/litre with 6500K colour temperature for 6-8 hours/day.
Fertilising: Use a quality liquid fertiliser weekly. Root tabs help heavy root feeders.
CO₂: While not essential for most plants, CO₂ injection dramatically improves growth and colour.
Trimming: Regular trimming encourages bushy, healthy growth and prevents shading of lower leaves.
Dispatch: Plants are usually dispatched Monday to Friday from Perth, WA. During summer (Dec–Feb), dispatch is limited to early in the week (Mon–Wed) to avoid heat damage in transit.
Live shipping: Plants ship via Express Post with insulation and heat/cool packs as needed.
Live arrival guarantee: If your plants arrive unhealthy, send a photo within 4 hours of delivery for replacement or refund.
Tracking: You'll receive a tracking number by email as soon as your order ships.
Hardware & consumables: 30-day return window for unopened items in original packaging.
Live items: Cannot be returned but are covered by our healthy arrival guarantee.
Refunds: Processed within 5 business days of receiving your return.
Need help? Contact us — we're real aquascapers based in Perth.
Will my plant survive the trip in summer/winter?
Yes — we ship via Express Post and add insulation plus heat or cool packs as needed. Most orders arrive within 1–3 business days. If anything goes wrong, our healthy plant guarantee kicks in.
Are these plants beginner friendly?
It depends on the species. Check the Care guide tab — we've tagged each plant with difficulty (Easy / Medium / Advanced). Most of our range is suited to beginners with basic lighting.
Do I need CO₂ for this plant?
Most aquatic plants we stock will grow without injected CO₂, but growth is dramatically faster and more vibrant with CO₂. The Care guide tab indicates whether CO₂ is required, recommended or optional.
What if my plant arrives damaged?
Send a photo to us within 4 hours of delivery and we'll replace or refund. That's our healthy plant guarantee.
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FAQs
Most stem plants come in bunches of 4-6 stems. Thicker-stemmed species typically come in portions of 2-3 stems. Mosses and some carpet plants are supplied as 5x5cm portions. Exact portion details are listed in the product description for each plant.
All live plants are shipped express via Australia Post to ensure they arrive fresh and healthy. We carefully package plants to protect them during transit, even if you select standard shipping at checkout
We guarantee your plants will arrive healthy. If they don't, contact us within 24 hours of delivery with photos, and we'll replace or refund them. See our Refund Policy for details.
CO2 requirements vary by species. Check the Care Information tab for this specific plant. Many of our plants can thrive without CO2, though growth may be slower.
Most of our aquarium plants are grown submerged (underwater), which means they adapt faster to your tank and are less likely to melt. This gives you stronger roots and instant success. The exception is our terrarium plants, which are grown emersed (above water)
Due to the perishable nature of live plants, we cannot accept change-of-mind returns once dispatched. However, our 24-hour arrival guarantee covers any plants that arrive in poor condition.
Orders typically dispatch within 1-2 business days. Delivery times are 1-2 days for WA and 2-4 days for interstate. All plants ship express for freshness.