Description

Marsh seedbox, Ludwigia palustris, is a stem plant with oval leaves that under good light turn entirely wine red; bred forms such as 'Super Red' keep the red even in moderate light. It is the simplest way to bring red into a tank without CO2. It is worth knowing that it is native to Europe and the only ludwigia the Spanish invasive list leaves out: its relatives L. grandiflora and L. peploides are banned.
Scientific name
Ludwigia palustris
Position
Middle
Difficulty
Easy
Natural grow
Medium
Max height
30 cm

🌊 Water parameters

pH
6 - 7.5
GH
2 - 15
Temperature
18 - 28 °C
Current
Low or moderate

Requirements

Light requirements
Low
Light spectrum requirements
6000 - 8000 (Kelvin)
Require CO2
no
Soil requirements
Nutritious sustrate

Habitats

Sources

  • GBIF
    GBIF Secretariat (2026). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset. https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei. Consultado vía GBIF.org, 2026-08. Ludwigia palustris.
  • Tropica
    Tropica Aquarium Plants. Plant database. Ficha de cultivo; consultada 2026-10. Ludwigia palustris.

The Spanish Catalogue of Invasive Alien Species (Royal Decree 630/2013) includes Ludwigia spp. but expressly excludes L. palustris, which is native; the EU list only covers L. grandiflora and L. peploides.

Tropica supports the light, CO2, growth and difficulty; the pH, temperature and hardness ranges have no citable source.