Care specifications
| Type | Floating |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Light | Medium (40–80 µmol PAR) |
| CO2 | Not needed |
| Fertilizer demand | High |
| Growth rate | Fast |
| Max height | 3 in |
| Spread | 6 in |
| Placement | Floating |
| Attaches to hardscape | No |
| Snail & shrimp safe | Yes |
| Temperature | 70–84 °F |
| pH | 6–7.5 |
| Color | Green |
| Trimming | Regular |
| Styles | Jungle, Biotope |
Get Water Lettuce
Propagation
Daughter rosettes bud off on short stolons; separate them by hand or scoop out excess weekly.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my Water Lettuce stay small or turn yellow in the aquarium?
Indoors it naturally grows much smaller than the dinner-plate rosettes seen in ponds, so small is normal. Yellowing usually means nutrient hunger — floaters feed entirely from the water column, so dose a liquid fertilizer — or leaf rot from condensation dripping off a tight lid onto the velvety leaves, which must stay dry.
Is Water Lettuce legal to keep?
Not everywhere. Because it chokes waterways in warm climates, several US states (Florida and Texas among them) restrict or prohibit it. Check your state's invasive species list before ordering, and never dispose of trimmings in drains, ponds, or waterways — bag them for the trash.
Go deeper
Water Lettuce appears in
- Aquarium plants for medium light
- Floating plants for aquariums
- Aquarium plants that don't need CO2
- Aquarium plants that stay under 3 inches
- Aquarium plants for nano tanks
- Snail-safe aquarium plants
- Fast-growing aquarium plants
- Aquarium plants for beginners
- Aquarium plants for betta tanks
- Plants for jungle-style aquascapes
Find plants for your tank
Four questions — size, light, CO2, goals — and a ranked list matched to your exact setup.
Open the plant finder →