Gratiola virginiana

The Virginia hedge hyssop is widespread in the south and east of the USA as a marsh plant in wetlands. In nature, this species is annual. It is one of quite a few North American Gratiola species; the European G. officinalis (hedge hyssop) belongs to the same genus.

Gratiola virginiana is one of the first hedge hyssop species in the aquarium hobby. US-American aquarists found that it is well suited as an aquarium plant. It was introduced to Europe in 2012 at the latest, but is still little known here.

We have hardly any information yet about the aquarium cultivation of G. virginiana, but it seems to be a light-loving plant that is not particularly difficult. Under water it grows strictly upright, and if it is not trimmed, it grows vertically out of the water. Inconspicuous, whitish, short-lived flowers appear very soon in the leaf axils of the emersed shoots, followed by fruit capsules with many fine seeds.

In its submersed form, Gratiola virginiana is reminiscent of some Bacopa species. The stems are thick and rigid, the submersed leaves are oblong-elliptic, somewhat wavy, light green, partly suffused with brownish red, and have a more or less serrated leaf margin. The shoots grow about 5 to 7 cm wide.

- To be continued -