Marsilea drummondii Care Guide
Marsilea drummondii, the Australian nardoo, is an aquatic clover fern that forms a low foreground carpet under modest light.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Marsilea drummondii is an aquatic fern of the family Marsileaceae, known in Australia as nardoo. Its fronds typically bear two pairs of leaflets in a clover-like arrangement. In the aquarium it spreads by a creeping rhizome to form a low foreground carpet.
Taxonomy
- Family: Marsileaceae
- Genus: Marsilea
- Scientific name: Marsilea drummondii
- Common name: nardoo (common nardoo)
Habitat
The species is native to Australia, where it is widespread and common, particularly in inland regions. It inhabits wetlands and can grow in water up to about one metre deep, appearing abundantly after flooding. Plants root in mud, and the foliage floats on quiet water or forms ground carpets as water levels fall.
Tank requirements
- Lighting: medium (genus tolerates lower light)
- CO2: not required
- Temperature: 18-28 °C (64-82 °F)
- pH: 6-8
- GH: 4-18 °dGH
- Maximum height: about 8 cm
- Placement: foreground carpet
Planting and care
Marsilea is grown as a carpeting plant: clumps are planted into the substrate, where many roots provide good anchoring. Growth is slow, and the submersed form may show fewer leaflets than the emersed clover shape. It does not require high light intensity, making it suitable for low-tech layouts.
Propagation
Propagation is vegetative, by runners and rhizome division. The creeping rhizome sends up new fronds, gradually expanding the carpet across the substrate.
Difficulty
Rated beginner-friendly. The plant tolerates a wide range of conditions and does not need CO2 injection, though carpeting establishes slowly.
Propagating Marsilea drummondii (Common Nardoo)
Overview
Marsilea drummondii, common nardoo, is an Australian aquatic fern-ally whose fronds carry two pairs of leaflets, giving the familiar four-leaf clover shape. It has a rhizomatous, creeping habit, forming mats on the water surface and ground carpets as floodwaters recede. The species shows considerable morphological plasticity, so leaf form varies with conditions.
In the aquarium it is grown as a low, slow carpeting plant. Because it spreads along a creeping rhizome, it is multiplied by dividing the runners, not by stem cuttings.
Propagation Method
Although nardoo reproduces in the wild via long-lived sporocarps, in cultivation the practical route is vegetative division of the creeping rhizome. Long runners can be cut into small sections and replanted; each rooted node grows into a new patch. Plants may grow in more than one direction from each node, so divided pieces fill in to form a denser carpet.
Step-by-Step
- Lift an established mat and trace the creeping rhizome runners.
- Cut the runners into bits of roughly two to five leaves each.
- Handle gently, since the plant uproots easily and dislodges during planting.
- Plant the sections every one to two inches, or split into two-leaf segments set about an inch apart in a checkerboard pattern.
- Press each rooted node into nutrient-rich substrate and keep sections in place until they re-anchor.
Conditions for Healthy Growth
Nardoo thrives in inland Australian wetlands and grows submersed or emersed, reaching depths up to about one metre. Once settled into a rich substrate it grows vigorously both under water and above it. In the aquarium it accepts medium light and does not require CO2, and it is notably drought-tolerant in its emersed form.
Maintenance
Regular pruning promotes denser and often faster growth, as plants branch out from each node. Trim the carpet to keep it low and even, and reuse the cuttings as propagation material. Because it is slow to establish, give new sections time before heavy trimming.
Common Challenges
The biggest hurdle is that nardoo uproots easily, so freshly planted sections drift until they root; small segments and patient handling help. Growth is slow to start, and leaf form changes between submersed and emersed conditions, so early carpets can look uneven until they fill in.