Fast growing aquarium plants

Aquarium plants that the sources rate as fast-growing. A plant is listed here only when its source rates it fast without a range; moderate to fast growers are listed as medium.

Plants
20
Height
0–20 in (1–51 cm)
Water temperature
61–82 °F (16–28 °C)
Type

13 Stem plant

5 Rosette plant

1 Liverwort

1 Rhizome plant

Compare all 20 side by side

All 20 fast growing aquarium plants

Ammannia gracilis stem with narrow opposite leaves, green to orange, grown submerged Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0 Ammannia gracilis Difficult stem plant for high light. High light (estimated) Midground, BackgroundStem plant
Azolla caroliniana small floating fronds covering a water surface Photo: David Perez, CC BY 3.0 Azolla Easy stem plant for medium and high light. Medium–high lightFloatingStem plant
Sagittaria subulata dense rosettes of short strap-shaped leaves Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0 Dwarf sagittaria Easy rosette plant for medium light. Medium light (estimated) Foreground, Midground, CarpetRosette plant
Glossostigma elatinoides upright stems with small spoon-shaped leaves on aquarium substrate Photo: Miriam Serrano Álvarez, CC BY-SA 4.0 Glossostigma elatinoides Difficult stem plant for medium and high light. Medium–high lightForeground, CarpetStem plant
Hydrocotyle tripartita Japan, a low dense mat of small lobed leaves in a home aquarium Hydrocotyle tripartita 'Japan' Medium stem plant for medium light. Medium light (estimated) Foreground, Midground, Background, CarpetStem plant
Hygrophila corymbosa Siamensis stems with lance-shaped green leaves in a home aquarium Hygrophila corymbosa 'Siamensis' Easy stem plant for medium and high light. Medium–high lightMidground, BackgroundStem plant
Ludwigia ovalis small oval green leaves growing densely Photo: 葉子, CC0 Ludwigia ovalis Medium stem plant for medium light. Medium light (estimated) Foreground, MidgroundStem plant
Ludwigia repens stem with reddish leaves and white water roots, under water Photo: Show ryu., CC BY-SA 3.0 Ludwigia repens Medium stem plant for medium light. Medium lightMidground, BackgroundStem plant
Ludwigia palustris Super Red stems with deep red leaves in a home aquarium Ludwigia palustris 'Super Red' Easy stem plant for medium and high light. Medium–high lightMidground, BackgroundStem plant
Cabomba furcata submerged stems with reddish whorls of finely divided leaves Photo: Diogo Luiz, CC BY-SA 4.0 Red cabomba Difficult stem plant for high light. High lightMidground, BackgroundStem plant
Phyllanthus fluitans round floating leaves in green and red with roots below Photo: Monarchatto, CC BY-SA 4.0 Red root floater Easy rosette plant for low, medium, and high light. Low–high lightFloatingRosette plant
Riccia fluitans mat of branching green thalli Photo: Piotr Kuczynski, CC BY-SA 3.0 Riccia fluitans Medium liverwort for medium and high light. Medium–high lightForeground, Carpet, On rock or wood, FloatingLiverwort
Rotala macrandra stems with small leaves and pink flower spikes growing emersed on soil Photo: Dinesh Valke from Thane, India, CC BY-SA 2.0 Rotala macrandra Difficult stem plant for high light. High lightMidground, BackgroundStem plant
Rotala rotundifolia emersed stems with round opposite leaves Photo: Cyclopelta, CC BY-SA 4.0 Rotala rotundifolia Medium stem plant for medium and high light. Medium–high light (estimated) Midground, BackgroundStem plant
Rotala wallichii stems with fine needle-like orange-red leaves in a home aquarium Rotala wallichii Difficult stem plant for high light. High lightMidground, BackgroundStem plant
Salvinia natans floating fern on the water surface, rows of oval floating leaves Photo: Le.Loup.Gris, CC BY-SA 3.0 Salvinia natans Easy rhizome plant for low, medium, and high light. Low–high lightFloatingRhizome plant
Vallisneria spiralis Leopard long ribbon leaves in a home aquarium background Vallisneria spiralis 'Leopard' Medium rosette plant for medium and high light. Medium–high lightBackgroundRosette plant
Water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) rosettes floating on the water surface Photo: Aris riyanto, CC BY-SA 4.0 Water lettuce Easy rosette plant for low, medium, and high light. Low–high lightFloatingRosette plant
Ceratopteris cornuta submerged in an aquarium, lobed light green fronds Photo: Carlosar, Public domain Water sprite Easy rosette plant for low and medium light. Low–medium lightBackground, FloatingRosette plant
Hygrophila difformis submerged stems with finely divided pale green leaves Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0 Water wisteria Easy stem plant for low and medium light. Low–medium lightMidground, BackgroundStem plant

How to choose

  1. Fast growers fill a new tank quickly and take up nutrients, but they need trimming every week or two.

  2. Check light and CO₂: some fast stems grow fast only with strong light and added CO₂.

  3. Floating fast growers can cover the surface; keep them to part of it so light reaches the plants below.

Compare side by side

Leaf color Placement
Ammannia gracilis Stem plant 5–8 in (13–20 cm) High Difficult Midground, Background
Azolla Stem plant 0–1 in (1–2 cm) Medium–high Easy Floating
Dwarf sagittaria Rosette plant 4–12 in (10–30 cm) Medium Easy Foreground, Midground, Carpet
Glossostigma elatinoides Stem plant 1–2 in (3–5 cm) Medium–high Difficult Foreground, Carpet
Hydrocotyle tripartita 'Japan' Stem plant 1–4 in (3–10 cm) Medium Medium Foreground, Midground, Background, Carpet
Hygrophila corymbosa 'Siamensis' Stem plant 6–12 in (15–30 cm) Medium–high Easy Midground, Background
Ludwigia ovalis Stem plant 4–8 in (10–20 cm) Medium Medium Foreground, Midground
Ludwigia palustris 'Super Red' Stem plant 7–19 in (18–48 cm) Medium–high Easy Midground, Background
Ludwigia repens Stem plant 4–8 in (10–20 cm) Medium Medium Midground, Background
Red cabomba Stem plant – High Difficult Midground, Background
Red root floater Rosette plant 1–4 in (3–10 cm) Low–high Easy Floating
Riccia fluitans Liverwort – Medium–high Medium Foreground, Carpet, On rock or wood, Floating
Rotala macrandra Stem plant 4–12 in (10–30 cm) High Difficult Midground, Background
Rotala rotundifolia Stem plant 4–12 in (10–30 cm) Medium–high Medium Midground, Background
Rotala wallichii Stem plant 6–12 in (15–30 cm) High Difficult Midground, Background
Salvinia natans Rhizome plant 2–3 in (5–8 cm) Low–high Easy Floating
Vallisneria spiralis 'Leopard' Rosette plant 8–12 in (20–30 cm) Medium–high Medium Background
Water lettuce Rosette plant 3–6 in (8–15 cm) Low–high Easy Floating
Water sprite Rosette plant 6–15 in (15–38 cm) Low–medium Easy Background, Floating
Water wisteria Stem plant 8–20 in (20–51 cm) Low–medium Easy Midground, Background

Values marked like this (estimated) are estimates.

Frequently asked questions

Do fast-growing plants help a new aquarium?

They are often planted to fill space and use nutrients while slower plants settle in. This page only reports the growth rate each source gives; the plant page lists the source.

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