Samolus valerandi

Description

The Seaside brookweed is a small, herbaceous plant from Europe, Asia and North America, belonging to the Primrose family (Primulaceae). It occurs in moist to temporarily flooded, often salty places, mostly near the sea shore. Under water it forms a small, to about 15 cm high, light green leaf rosette with obovate to spathulate leaves. As terrestrial plant and in shallow water an upright stem arises from the rosette, developing small white flowers and seed capsules. Samolus valerandi is long known in the aquarium hobby, also as Samolus floribundus and S. parviflorus.

Samolus valerandi grows slowly under water and prefers strong lighting, nutrient-rich substrate, cooler temperatures below 26 °C and hard water. As well as in the nature, it can be grown in brackish water, still tolerating a salt concentration of 30 mg/l. In very shallow water and also with long-day lighting (more than 12 hours per day) it may develop its stems. Samolus valerandi is easy to grow as emersed plant on moist bottom where it propagates by its numerous small seeds.

This special, small rosette plant can be used as an accent in the foreground. It can be recommended form well lit cold water and brackish water biotope tanks. The emersed plant is also interesting for paludaria.