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PlantFreshwaterIntermediate
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Dwarf Hairgrass
Eleocharis parvula
One of the most popular carpeting plants. It forms a low, dense lawn of needle-like green blades, spreading rapidly via runners. Requires decent light and benefits from CO2 injection.
Class:Liliopsida
Order:Poales
Family:Cyperaceae
Subfamily:Cyperoideae
Genus:Eleocharis
Species:Eleocharis parvula
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Water Temperature
15 - 28 °C
pH Value
6 - 7.5
Water type
Freshwater
Light
High
CO2
Medium
Expected height
6 cm
Expected width
5 cm
GH
4 - 20 dGH
KH
2 - 15 dKH
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Eleocharis parvula is widely distributed across the temperate and tropical regions of Europe, Asia, North America, and South America. It is a marsh plant that grows along the sandy or muddy shores of lakes, rivers, and marshes, often in brackish waters and estuaries. In the wild, it adapts to periods of total submersion and emersion on wet mud, exposed to direct sunlight.
Taxonomy & Genetics: Belonging to the Cyperaceae family, it is commonly known as "Dwarf Hairgrass." Genetically, it is an extremely robust plant adapted to expand rapidly horizontally via underground runners to colonize floodplains devoid of other vegetation.
Physical Structure: The plant has a slender, grass-like appearance, formed by small clumps of thin, needle-like stems without true leaves (photosynthesis occurs in the stems). The height typically ranges from 3 to 10 cm. It develops a fine, fibrous root system that spreads like a net through the substrate.
Color & Texture: The stems exhibit a bright, vibrant, and uniform green color. The texture is extremely fine and dense, resembling an English lawn or a golf green, creating a soft, natural visual contrast against rough rocks and driftwood.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Lighting & CO2: Requires moderate to high lighting to grow compactly and avoid stretching. CO2 injection is highly recommended to stimulate horizontal propagation and achieve a dense, uniform carpet quickly.
Nutrition & Substrate: Requires a fine-grained, fertile substrate (fine sand or active soil) to allow the delicate roots to spread easily. It benefits from regular liquid fertilization containing iron and nitrogen.
Water Chemistry: Thrives in temperatures between 18 and 26°C (64-79°F), with an optimal pH range of 5.5 to 7.5. It adapts well to various water hardness levels and can tolerate low levels of salinity (mildly brackish waters).
Space Management & Placement: Placed exclusively in the foreground to create submerged lawns. It should be planted by dividing the pot into small tufts of a few stems each, inserted into the substrate in a grid pattern a few centimeters apart.
Pruning: Regular pruning with curved scissors is essential: trimming the carpet to a height of 2-3 cm stimulates the plant to send out new lateral runners, making the lawn much denser. Always net out trimmed stems to prevent them from rotting.
Risks & Diseases: The greatest risk is the invasion of filamentous algae, which easily entangle in the fine stems, choking the plant. Inadequate lighting or a lack of nutrients will cause the grass to yellow and thin out.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Eleocharis parvula is widely distributed across the temperate and tropical regions of Europe, Asia, North America, and South America. It is a marsh plant that grows along the sandy or muddy shores of lakes, rivers, and marshes, often in brackish waters and estuaries. In the wild, it adapts to periods of total submersion and emersion on wet mud, exposed to direct sunlight.
Origin
North AmericaExtra-Amazon South AmericaEurope, Mediterranean, and West AsiaSouth and Southeast AsiaEast AsiaCosmopolitan or introduced
Plant profile
- Placement
- No verified data available
- Botanical form
- No verified data available
- Growth
- No verified data available
- Substrate
- No verified data available
- Column fertilization
- No verified data available
- Root fertilization
- No verified data available
- Trimming
- No verified data available
- Propagation
- No verified data available
- Nutrients
- No verified data available
- Sensitivity
- No verified data available
- Layout role
- No verified data available
Image gallery
Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.
Related species
Recommendations grouped by close relatives, companion choices, and similar care.
