Bacopa Crenata 'Variegated'

Bacopa crenata 'Variegated' is a striking, rare aquatic stem plant prized by aquarists for its distinct green and cream-white marbled foliage. It features thick, opposite, slightly serrated (crenate) leaves and acts as a vibrant contrast element in the midground or background of freshwater aquascapes.

Key Characteristics

Foliage: Thick, rounded, or lanceolate leaves featuring irregular streaks or marbled patches of creamy white against a bright green background.

Leaf Margins: Distinctly scalloped or slightly serrated (crenate) edges, differentiating it from the smooth-edged Bacopa caroliniana.

Growth Habit: Strictly vertical, rigid upright growth reaching heights of 20 to 40 cm.

Flowers: Small, actinomorphic, solitary flowers ranging from white to blue-purple when grown above the waterline (emersed).

Planting and Maintenance

Placement: Best positioned in groups within the midground or background to provide structural depth.

Preparation: Remove any lead weights or rockwool, strip the bottom 1 inch of leaves, and gently anchor the individual stems into the substrate using aquascaping pinsettes.

Propagation: Simply cut the top portion of a healthy stem with sharp aquascaping scissors and replant the trimming back into the substrate.

Growth Rate: Slower than standard green Bacopa species due to the reduced chlorophyll in its variegated leaves.

Emerged (emersed) 

Bacopa crenata 'Variegated' in its emerged (emersed) form transitions from a flexible aquatic plant into a robust, creeping terrestrial herb. Growing Bacopa out of water changes its texture and growth habit significantly, making it popular for wabi-kusa, shallow ponds, and open-top paludariums.