Foreground aquarium plants
Aquarium plants that the sources place in the foreground: low plants for the front of the tank, from carpeting stems and rosettes to small epiphytes tied to stones. Compare them on light, CO₂ and difficulty.
- Plants
- 41
- Height
- 0–20 in (1–51 cm)
- Water temperature
- 50–82 °F (10–28 °C)
- Type
-
12 Stem plant
11 Rosette plant
7 Moss
6 Rhizome plant
2 Liverwort
1 Bulb plant
1 Thallus (leafless mat)
1 Runner plant
All 41 foreground aquarium plants
How to choose
-
Check the height column: a foreground plant should stay below the line of sight to the midground.
-
Carpeting plants are marked separately; they spread across the substrate rather than standing as single plants.
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Several foreground carpets are rated for high light, and some for added CO₂. Filter by light and CO₂ before picking one for a low-tech tank.
Compare side by side
| Leaf color | Placement | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alternanthera reineckii 'Mini' | Stem plant | 3–4 in (8–10 cm) | Medium–high | Medium | Foreground, Midground, Carpet | |
| Anubias coffeefolia | Rhizome plant | 4–6 in (10–15 cm) | Low–medium | Easy | Foreground, Midground, On rock or wood | |
| Anubias nana | Rhizome plant | 3–5 in (8–13 cm) | Low–medium | Easy | Foreground, Midground, On rock or wood | |
| Banana plant | Bulb plant | 4–6 in (10–15 cm) | Medium | Easy | Foreground, Midground, Floating | |
| Blyxa japonica | Rosette plant | 4–8 in (10–20 cm) | Medium–high | Medium | Foreground, Midground | |
| Bolbitis heteroclita | Rhizome plant | 2–4 in (5–10 cm) | Low–medium | Easy | Foreground, Midground, On rock or wood | |
| Brazilian pennywort | Stem plant | 5–10 in (13–25 cm) | Medium | Medium | Foreground, Midground, Floating | |
| Bucephalandra 'Black Pearl' | Rhizome plant | 2–3 in (4–8 cm) | Low–medium | Easy | Foreground, Midground, On rock or wood | |
| Cryptocoryne lucens | Rosette plant | 3–5 in (8–13 cm) | Low–medium | Easy | Foreground, Midground | |
| Cryptocoryne parva | Rosette plant | 2–4 in (5–10 cm) | Low–medium | Easy | Foreground, Midground, Carpet | |
| Cryptocoryne wendtii 'Brown' | Rosette plant | 4–8 in (10–20 cm) | Low–medium | Easy | Foreground, Midground | |
| Cryptocoryne wendtii 'Green' | Rosette plant | 4–8 in (10–20 cm) | Low–medium | Easy | Foreground, Midground | |
| Cryptocoryne wendtii 'Pink Flamingo' | Rosette plant | 2–6 in (5–15 cm) | Low–medium | Easy | Foreground, Midground | |
| Dwarf baby tears | Stem plant | 0–1 in (1–3 cm) | High | Difficult | Foreground, Carpet | |
| Dwarf hairgrass (Eleocharis parvula) | Rosette plant | 1–2 in (3–5 cm) | Low–high | Easy | Foreground, Carpet | |
| Dwarf sagittaria | Rosette plant | 4–12 in (10–30 cm) | Medium | Easy | Foreground, Midground, Carpet | |
| Fissidens fontanus | Moss | – | Medium | Easy | Foreground, On rock or wood | |
| Flame moss | Moss | – | Low–medium | Easy | Foreground, Carpet, On rock or wood | |
| Glossostigma elatinoides | Stem plant | 1–2 in (3–5 cm) | Medium–high | Difficult | Foreground, Carpet | |
| Helanthium tenellum | Rosette plant | 2–3 in (5–8 cm) | Medium–high | Medium | Foreground, Midground, Carpet | |
| Hydrocotyle tripartita 'Japan' | Stem plant | 1–4 in (3–10 cm) | Medium | Medium | Foreground, Midground, Background, Carpet | |
| Hydrocotyle verticillata | Stem plant | 5–20 in (13–51 cm) | Medium–high | Medium | Foreground, Midground, Carpet | |
| Java moss | Moss | – | Low–medium | Easy | Foreground, On rock or wood | |
| Juncus repens | Stem plant | 4–12 in (10–30 cm) | Low–high | Easy | Foreground, Midground | |
| Lobelia cardinalis | Stem plant | 4–12 in (10–30 cm) | Medium–high | Easy | Foreground, Midground | |
| Ludwigia ovalis | Stem plant | 4–8 in (10–20 cm) | Medium | Medium | Foreground, Midground | |
| Marsilea crenata | Rhizome plant | 1–2 in (3–5 cm) | Medium–high | Medium | Foreground, Carpet | |
| Marsilea hirsuta | Rhizome plant | 1–2 in (3–5 cm) | Medium–high | Easy | Foreground, Carpet | |
| Micro sword | Rosette plant | 1–3 in (3–8 cm) | Medium–high | Medium | Foreground, Midground, Carpet | |
| Monte Carlo | Stem plant | 1–2 in (3–5 cm) | Medium–high | Medium | Foreground, Carpet | |
| Peacock moss | Moss | – | Low–medium | Easy | Foreground, Carpet, On rock or wood | |
| Pearl weed | Stem plant | 2–6 in (5–15 cm) | Medium–high | Easy | Foreground, Midground, Background | |
| Pogostemon helferi | Rosette plant | 2–3 in (5–8 cm) | Medium–high | Medium | Foreground, Midground, Carpet | |
| Riccardia chamedryfolia | Liverwort | – | Medium | Easy | Foreground, Carpet, On rock or wood | |
| Riccia fluitans | Liverwort | – | Medium–high | Medium | Foreground, Carpet, On rock or wood, Floating | |
| Spiky moss | Moss | – | Low–medium | Easy | Foreground, Background, Carpet, On rock or wood | |
| Staurogyne repens | Stem plant | – | Medium–high | Medium | Foreground, Midground | |
| Subwassertang | Thallus (leafless mat) | – | Low–medium | Easy | Foreground, On rock or wood, Floating | |
| Utricularia graminifolia | Runner plant | 1–2 in (3–5 cm) | Medium–high | Difficult | Foreground, Carpet | |
| Weeping moss | Moss | – | Low–medium | Easy | Foreground, Carpet, On rock or wood | |
| Willow moss | Moss | – | Low–medium | Easy | Foreground, Carpet, On rock or wood |
Values marked like this (estimated) are estimates.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between foreground and carpeting plants?
Foreground is where the plant goes; carpeting is how it grows. A carpeting plant spreads by runners or creeping stems into a lawn, while other foreground plants stay as separate rosettes or clumps.