Plants for Dutch-style aquascapes

The species, easiest first

1. 1

   Bacopa Caroliniana

   Bacopa caroliniana

   • Easy
   • Medium light
   • No CO2 needed
   • Max 12"

   Bacopa caroliniana is the slow-and-steady stem plant: thick succulent-like leaves on upright stalks that hold their shape between trims, ideal for orderly Dutch-style rows.

   $5.99 In stockCare profile →
2. 2

   Broad-Leaf Chain Sword

   Helanthium bolivianum 'Latifolius'

   • Easy
   • Medium light
   • No CO2 needed
   • Max 6"

   The Broad-Leaf Chain Sword is a small, grassy sword that spreads by runners into a low foreground-to-midground meadow, with leaves wider and a touch taller than its narrow-leaf relative.

   $6.99 In stockCare profile →
3. 3

   Dwarf Lily

   Nymphaea stellata

   • Easy
   • Medium light
   • CO2 beneficial
   • Max 16"

   The Dwarf Lily grows from a bulb into a rosette of arrow-shaped leaves that range from green to deep red and bronze depending on light.

   $5.99 Out of stockCare profile →
4. 4

   Dwarf Lobelia Cardinalis

   Lobelia cardinalis 'Dwarf'

   • Easy
   • Medium light
   • CO2 beneficial
   • Max 6"

   The dwarf cardinal plant grows rounded, almost succulent bright-green leaves on stout upright stems — the classic plant for the Dutch 'street', a diagonal walkway of identical plants through the foreground.

   $4.99 In stockCare profile →
5. 5

   Green Ozelot Sword

   Echinodorus 'Ozelot Green'

   • Easy
   • Medium light
   • No CO2 needed
   • Max 18"

   The Green Ozelot Sword is a hardy hybrid sword with green leaves scattered with dark maroon-brown spots, giving a centerpiece plant a patterned, almost leopard-print look without demanding equipment.

   $7.99 In stockCare profile →
6. 6

   Helanthium Bolivianum 'Quadricostatus'

   Helanthium bolivianum 'Quadricostatus'

   • Easy
   • Medium light
   • CO2 beneficial
   • Max 6"

   Helanthium 'Quadricostatus' is a small chain-sword that sends out runners to form a bright green grassy carpet in the foreground or midground.

   $6.99 In stockCare profile →
7. 7

   Hygrophila Corymbosa

   Hygrophila corymbosa

   • Easy
   • Low light
   • No CO2 needed
   • Max 24"

   Hygrophila corymbosa is a big, broad-leaved background stem that turns a bare back wall into a green hedge in weeks, no CO2 required.

   $9.19 In stockCare profile →
8. 8

   Hygrophila Salicifolia (Hygro Blue)

   Hygrophila salicifolia

   • Easy
   • Low light
   • CO2 beneficial
   • Max 18"

   Hygrophila salicifolia is a fast, undemanding willow-leaf stem plant that grows in low to moderate light without CO2, making it a reliable nutrient sponge for new tanks.

   $8.99 In stockCare profile →
9. 9

   Kleiner Bar Sword

   Echinodorus 'Kleiner Bar'

   • Easy
   • Medium light
   • CO2 beneficial
   • Max 12"

   Kleiner Bar is a compact, narrow-leaved sword whose new growth flushes red and copper, staying smaller than the big Amazon-type swords so it fits midground positions in moderate tanks.

   $8.99 In stockCare profile →
10. 10

    Ludwigia 'Super Red Mini'

    Ludwigia palustris 'Super Red'

    • Easy
    • Medium light
    • CO2 beneficial
    • Max 8"

    Super Red Mini is a selected form of Ludwigia palustris that stays small and turns a deep blood-red with far less effort than classic high-tech reds.

    $6.99 In stockCare profile →
11. 11

    Ludwigia Dark Red

    Ludwigia sp. 'Dark Red'

    • Easy
    • Medium light
    • CO2 beneficial
    • Max 14"

    Ludwigia 'Dark Red' is one of the easiest ways to get genuine red into a planted tank, holding deep burgundy tones even under moderate light where many red plants fade to green.

    $5.99 In stockCare profile →
12. 12

    Ludwigia Palustris

    Ludwigia palustris

    • Easy
    • Medium light
    • CO2 beneficial
    • Max 10"

    Ludwigia palustris is a compact, small-leaved red stem that colors up at lower light than almost any other red plant — solid medium light produces rusty red tops even without CO2.

    $5.99 In stockCare profile →
13. 13

    Ludwigia Peruensis

    Ludwigia peruensis

    • Easy
    • Medium light
    • CO2 beneficial
    • Max 18"

    Ludwigia peruensis is a fast, large-leaved red stem plant that brings bold orange-to-red foliage to the background without the fussiness of finer Ludwigias.

    $6.99 In stockCare profile →
14. 14

    Ludwigia Repens

    Ludwigia repens

    • Easy
    • Medium light
    • CO2 beneficial
    • Max 20"

    Ludwigia repens is the easiest red stem plant in the hobby — coppery-red undersides even in modest setups, deepening to full red as light increases.

    $5.99 In stockCare profile →
15. 15

    Moneywort

    Bacopa monnieri

    • Easy
    • Medium light
    • No CO2 needed
    • Max 12"

    Moneywort is a hardy, undemanding stem plant with small, rounded, succulent light-green leaves along upright stalks — a tidy, brighter-green alternative to Bacopa caroliniana.

    $5.99 In stockCare profile →
16. 16

    Pearl Weed

    Hemianthus glomeratus

    • Easy
    • Medium light
    • CO2 beneficial
    • Max 8"

    Pearl Weed is the shape-shifter of aquascaping: trimmed hard it creeps into a tight carpet, left taller it builds dense bright-green mounds and hedges, all on tiny paired leaves.

    $6.99 In stockCare profile →
17. 17

    Red Ozelot Sword

    Echinodorus 'Ozelot'

    • Easy
    • Medium light
    • CO2 beneficial
    • Max 18"

    Red Ozelot Sword is prized for its dramatic foliage: reddish-brown leaves freckled with darker maroon spots, like an animal print, that hold up well even in moderate light.

    $7.99 In stockCare profile →
18. 18

    Red Rubin Sword

    Echinodorus 'Red Rubin'

    • Easy
    • Medium light
    • CO2 beneficial
    • Max 20"

    Red Rubin Sword is a large rosette plant whose broad lance-shaped leaves emerge deep wine-red and mature to a reddish-bronze, making it a striking centerpiece for bigger tanks.

    $8.99 In stockCare profile →
19. 19

    Red Tiger Lotus

    Nymphaea zenkeri

    • Easy
    • Medium light
    • No CO2 needed
    • Max 12"

    Red Tiger Lotus erupts from a bulb into a fountain of burgundy, tiger-streaked leaves — the easiest deep-red focal plant in the hobby, needing no CO2 to color up.

    $4.89 In stockCare profile →
20. 20

    Rotala Rotundifolia

    Rotala rotundifolia

    • Easy
    • Medium light
    • CO2 beneficial
    • Max 20"

    Rotala rotundifolia is the standard background stem of nature-style aquascaping: fast, forgiving, and quick to form the soft pink-orange bushes seen behind iwagumi stone work.

    $5.99 In stockCare profile →
21. 21

    Staurogyne Repens

    Staurogyne repens

    • Easy
    • Medium light
    • CO2 beneficial
    • Max 4"

    Staurogyne repens is a compact, slow-growing bush plant that stays under a few inches — the easiest path to a structured green foreground without committing to a true carpet.

    $6.99 In stockCare profile →
22. 22

    Alternanthera Reineckii

    Alternanthera reineckii

    • Medium
    • Medium light
    • CO2 beneficial
    • Max 16"

    Alternanthera reineckii delivers true magenta-to-burgundy foliage that no light spectrum trick can fake — the centerpiece red of Dutch aquascaping.

    $9.19 In stockCare profile →
23. 23

    Alternanthera Reineckii 'Lilacina'

    Alternanthera reineckii 'Lilacina'

    • Medium
    • High light
    • CO2 beneficial
    • Max 12"

    Alternanthera reineckii 'Lilacina' is a broad-leaved cultivar of the popular red stem plant, showing a purplish-lilac underside that deepens with strong light and CO2.

    $6.99 In stockCare profile →
24. 24

    Alternanthera Reineckii 'Rosanervig'

    Alternanthera reineckii 'Rosanervig'

    • Medium
    • Medium light
    • CO2 beneficial
    • Max 12"

    Rosanervig is the variegated form of Alternanthera reineckii: the same pink-to-magenta leaves, but threaded with pale, almost white veins that read like neon under good light.

    $6.99 In stockCare profile →
25. 25

    Ammannia Gracilis

    Ammannia gracilis

    • Medium
    • High light
    • CO2 beneficial
    • Max 20"

    Ammannia gracilis is a big, architectural stem from West Africa with long, wavy leaves in copper-bronze to salmon-orange — a Dutch-tank classic that earns its place under high light and generous iron dosing.

    $6.99 In stockCare profile →
26. 26

    Echinodorus Fancy Twist

    Echinodorus 'Fancy Twist'

    • Medium
    • Medium light
    • No CO2 needed
    • Max 14"

    Fancy Twist is a hybrid sword grown for its dramatically curled and rippled leaves, with new growth flushing pink or red over a green, lightly speckled base.

    $7.99 In stockCare profile →
27. 27

    Green Myrio (Foxtail)

    Myriophyllum pinnatum

    • Medium
    • High light
    • CO2 beneficial
    • Max 16"

    Green Myrio is a feathery stem plant whose finely divided whorls give a soft, cloud-like texture prized in Dutch and nature layouts.

    $6.99 Out of stockCare profile →
28. 28

    Hygrophila Araguaia

    Hygrophila lancea 'Araguaia'

    • Medium
    • Medium light
    • CO2 beneficial
    • Max 8"

    Hygrophila 'Araguaia' is an unusually small, slow Hygrophila with narrow lance-shaped leaves that turn bronze, copper, and red-brown under strong light.

    $6.99 In stockCare profile →
29. 29

    Limnophila Aromatica

    Limnophila aromatica

    • Medium
    • High light
    • CO2 beneficial
    • Max 16"

    Limnophila aromatica is a showpiece stem plant whose narrow leaves carry green tops over rich purple-to-magenta undersides when grown well.

    $5.99 In stockCare profile →
30. 30

    Limnophila Hippuridoides

    Limnophila hippuridoides

    • Medium
    • Medium light
    • CO2 beneficial
    • Max 16"

    Limnophila hippuridoides grows whorls of feathery leaves that flush deep purple-red underneath under good light, giving a soft, bushy texture in the midground or background.

    $5.99 In stockCare profile →
31. 31

    Ludwigia Arcuata

    Ludwigia arcuata

    • Medium
    • High light
    • CO2 beneficial
    • Max 12"

    Ludwigia arcuata trades the broad leaves of its relatives for fine needles that turn coppery orange-red under strong light, giving a delicate texture few red plants offer.

    $6.99 In stockCare profile →
32. 32

    Ludwigia Ovalis

    Ludwigia ovalis

    • Medium
    • High light
    • CO2 beneficial
    • Max 12"

    Ludwigia ovalis is a rounder-leaved Ludwigia that shifts from green to coppery orange and pink as light intensity climbs, giving a Dutch layout a soft warm accent.

    $5.99 In stockCare profile →
33. 33

    Mint Charlie

    Micromeria brownei

    • Medium
    • Medium light
    • CO2 beneficial
    • Max 10"

    Mint Charlie is a bright-green stem plant with small, rounded, mint-scented leaves that bring a fresh light-green tone to the midground.

    $5.99 In stockCare profile →
34. 34

    Pogostemon Erectus

    Pogostemon erectus

    • Medium
    • High light
    • CO2 beneficial
    • Max 14"

    Pogostemon erectus grows stiff, upright stems lined with fine needle-like leaves arranged in dense whorls, giving a crisp bottlebrush or conifer texture that stands out among softer plants.

    $7.99 Out of stockCare profile →
35. 35

    Pogostemon Helferi (Downoi)

    Pogostemon helferi

    • Medium
    • High light
    • CO2 beneficial
    • Max 4"

    Pogostemon helferi, known as Downoi, forms low star-shaped rosettes of crinkled, wavy-edged leaves that make an unmistakable foreground accent.

    $10.99 Out of stockCare profile →
36. 36

    Red Flame Sword

    Echinodorus 'Red Flame'

    • Medium
    • Medium light
    • CO2 beneficial
    • Max 14"

    The Red Flame Sword is a compact hybrid sword whose leaves are heavily mottled with deep red and burgundy over green, putting sword-plant color at a midground scale.

    $8.99 In stockCare profile →
37. 37

    Rotala 'H'ra'

    Rotala rotundifolia 'H'ra'

    • Medium
    • High light
    • CO2 beneficial
    • Max 16"

    Rotala 'H'ra' is the color-upgraded form of Rotala rotundifolia, shifting orange-red under high light where the standard species only blushes pink.

    $5.99 In stockCare profile →
38. 38

    Ammannia Senegalensis

    Ammannia senegalensis

    • Advanced
    • High light
    • CO2 required
    • Max 14"

    Ammannia senegalensis is a demanding Dutch-style stem plant whose leaves curl and glow coppery orange to red under intense light, the tops sometimes blushing pink.

    $5.99 In stockCare profile →
39. 39

    Cryptocoryne 'Pink Flamingo'

    Cryptocoryne wendtii 'Pink Flamingo'

    • Advanced
    • High light
    • CO2 required
    • Max 8"

    Cryptocoryne 'Pink Flamingo' is a striking pink-to-magenta crypt that, unlike most easy Cryptocoryne, genuinely needs high light, CO2, and rich nutrients to hold its color and grow well.

    $19.99 Out of stockCare profile →
40. 40

    Ludwigia Inclinata 'Cuba'

    Ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata 'Cuba'

    • Advanced
    • High light
    • CO2 required
    • Max 20"

    Ludwigia 'Cuba' is a showpiece for high-tech tanks: whorls of narrow copper-orange leaves that can dominate a Dutch background — and a plant that genuinely will not perform without injected CO2, high light, and rich, consistent fertilization.

    $5.99 In stockCare profile →
41. 41

    Pogostemon Stellatus

    Pogostemon stellatus

    • Advanced
    • High light
    • CO2 required
    • Max 16"

    Pogostemon stellatus crowns each stem with a starburst of narrow leaves that flush pink-to-purple under intense light — one of the most striking background stems in aquascaping, and one of the fussiest.

    $5.99 Out of stockCare profile →
42. 42

    Rotala Macrandra

    Rotala macrandra

    • Advanced
    • High light
    • CO2 required
    • Max 20"

    Rotala macrandra is the hobby's reference red stem — broad leaves in saturated red to magenta that no easier plant matches.

    $5.99 In stockCare profile →