How to grow Bacopa caroliniana/Colorata & B. Salzmannii

Bacopa caroliniana is green with bronze hues, next to Bacopa salzmannii - this tank shows a particularly red variety of Bacopa salzmannii. The other popular variety on the market is Bacopa sp. colorata, which is thought to be a more reddish variety of Bacopa caroliniana - it has similar growth requirements but needs stronger lighting to show its full colours.

Bacopa sp colorata beside Bacopa salzmannii 'SG variant'. Bacopa colorata has significantly more colorful leaves compared to Bacopa caroliniana under similar growth conditions. Grown with APT Complete and APT Jazz.

Bacopa colorata's flesh-tones are a good contrast to red and green plants in the aquarium.

Introduction

Bacopa caroliniana

Bacopa caroliniana has long been a staple in the hobby. It's most recognisable characteristic is that it has a lemon scent when its leaves are crushed. In garden shops it is often sold as Lemon Bacopa. Bacopa ;caroliniana is native to North America and can be found in the wild in places such as the Everglades in Florida, growing even in brackish water.It is a medium sized stem plant that is green in low light tanks but takes on attractive bronze to pink hues in higher light levels. Bacopa caroliniana works well in a middle ground group.

Bacopa caroliniana is a very hardy and easy to grow plant, but likes plenty of light, especially if you want to bring out its bronze hues. It tolerates hard water but will grow larger and more colourful in softer water. It can be grown without CO2 injection, but the plants are unlikely to develop good colour. CO2 injection will give larger, more robust plants with better colouration. It should be planted in a bright area of the tank, not in the shade, as it needs quite a lot of light to grow well. It has a moderate growth rate which makes it an attractive option for a stem plant as it does not need to be pruned as often.

Bacopa caroliniana gains attractive bronze/pink under higher light levels and sufficient fertilization. 

Bacopa salzmannii

Bacopa salzmannii is native to Central and South America, where it grows in swamps and along the banks of rivers and ponds. It is smaller (about half the size) than Bacopa caroliniana and comes in a number of varieties. Depending on the exact variety, the colour can range from green - with a hint of purple - to a deep purple. The full purple variety is gaining popularity in the hobby these days, although it is still only traded between a small number of hobbyists and not commercially propagated on a large scale by farms. The greenish variety with a hint of purple is common and has been in the hobby for a long time.

The more common greenish variety next to the deeper purple variety. Grown under the same conditions and viewed in the same light - the contrast can be very marked. They almost look like different plants. The more greenish varieties can get quite purple leaves under high light levels and coloured lighting. However, the purple variety will look fully purple even under more moderate growing conditions.

The purple variety provides a great contrast to both red and green plants. Despite its great colour, it is a relatively hardy plant. Stronger lighting, CO2 injection and adequate all round fertiliser will give it a brighter shade of purple right down to the stems. It performs best in the midground.
Compared to Bacopa caroliniana, which is not picky about water hardness, Bacopa salzmannii seems to prefer softer water. Pruning and propagation is similar to Bacopa caroliniana.

Key Success Factors

• Higher PAR values required to bring out coloration (100 umols of PAR and above)

• Bacopas have a preference for soft water even though hardy species such as Bacopa caroliniana can tolerate more alkaline water. 

• CO2 injection is a necessity for good colouration of Bacopa colorata/caroliniana. Low CO2 levels in a high tech tank will result in poor colouration - this happens very quickly and is a good indicator of a sudden drop in CO2 levels.

• Sufficient nutrients help coloration - a lack of branching can be a sign of overly lean conditions.

• If the plant gradually produces smaller and smaller top leaves, it can be an indicator that the water is too alkaline (KH is too high).

Pruning and propagation

Similarly with Bacopa caroliniana, cut above an internode and plant the top 2 - 3 inches of the plant. This plant will also develop side shoots naturally over time. After a few pruning cycles, the lower parts will usually have deteriorated, while the new shoots would have taken root on the internodes of the old stem. In such cases, the fresh tops should be replanted and the older bottom part uprooted and discarded.