Salvinia Auriculata care guide
Salvinia Auriculata (Salvinia auriculata) — medium light, 18-30 °C, pH 6-8, no CO2.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Salvinia Auriculata (Salvinia auriculata) is a round-leaved plant of the family Salviniaceae, grown as an aquarium plant. A medium-sized floating fern with paired, oval leaves covered in water-repellent hairs. Larger than S. minima and creates effective surface coverage for shading and nutrient control.
Taxonomy
- Family: Salviniaceae
- Genus: Salvinia
- Scientific name: Salvinia auriculata
- Common synonyms: Eared Watermoss, Butterfly Fern
Habitat
Salvinia auriculata originates from South America, where it grows in freshwater marshes, ditches and slow-moving streams, frequently emersed on seasonally flooded ground.
Growth requirements
- Lighting: medium
- CO2: not required
- Temperature: 18-30 °C (64-86 °F)
- pH: 6-8
- GH: 2-15 °dGH
- Substrate: none (floating or epiphytic)
- Maximum height: 3 cm
- Growth rate: fast
- Nutrient demand: low
- Recommended placement: floating
- Typical trim interval: 7 days
Placement
In aquascapes this plant floats at the surface.
Propagation
Propagation is by division of the parent clump; daughter plants are separated once they have formed several leaves and visible roots.
Common issues
Pale or stunted new growth usually signals a nutrient or iron deficiency, while algae on older leaves often follows light that exceeds the available nutrients or CO2; correcting fertilisation and trimming affected parts resolves most cases.
Propagating Salvinia auriculata 'Giant'
Overview
Salvinia auriculata 'Giant' is a free-floating aquatic fern in the family Salviniaceae. Plants in the Salvinia genus grow on creeping, branched stems that carry trimerous whorls: two green, flat floating leaves and a third finely dissected, rootlike leaf hanging beneath the surface. The floating leaves are covered with hydrophobic, water-repellent trichomes, and the 'Giant' form is simply a larger growth phase that provides strong surface shading and biofiltration.
Because Salvinia reproduces primarily through vegetative fragmentation rather than spores, it is an easy beginner plant: it grows rapidly in still, warm water and quickly forms dense floating mats.
Propagation Method
Salvinia spreads by fragmentation and division. Its creeping, branched stems naturally break apart, so each detached segment carrying daughter fronds becomes an independent plant that drifts off and colonizes new surface area. In the aquarium you simply separate or pinch off healthy frond pairs to create new clusters.
Step-by-Step
- Choose a healthy mat with firm, deep-green paired leaves and visible side branching.
- With clean fingers or tweezers, separate a section where a daughter frond is already forming on the creeping stem.
- Gently divide the branched stem so each new piece keeps at least one or two leaf pairs.
- Float the divisions on a calm part of the surface, away from strong filter flow that would push them together or sink them.
- Within days the fragments resume growth and bud further fronds, doubling biomass quickly.
Conditions for Healthy Growth
Keep the water warm (about 22-30 degrees Celsius) with medium lighting; no CO2 injection is required. Salvinia tolerates a wide pH (5.5-7.5) and hardness range and grows fastest in nutrient-rich, still water. Calm surface conditions keep the velvety leaves dry and prevent rot.
Maintenance
Thin the floating layer roughly every two weeks. Scoop out excess plants by hand so light still reaches plants below, and harvesting also exports absorbed nutrients from the water column.
Common Challenges
Wet, splashed leaves and stagnant, overcrowded mats are the main problems: surplus moisture and shading cause yellowing and melt. Strong filter currents push the fern into corners. Reduce flow, thin regularly, and keep the surface calm to maintain a clean, fast-growing carpet.
Propagating Salvinia auriculata (Eared Watermoss)
Overview
Salvinia auriculata is a floating aquatic fern native to the Americas, from Mexico south to Argentina and Chile. It carries paired oval fronds covered in water-repellent hairs and forms an effective surface mat used for shading and nutrient export. The plant has long been known as an invasive species, having infested the Zambezi River and becoming naturalized where it escaped cultivation, so it should never be released into the wild.
Propagation Method
Because it floats, Salvinia is propagated vegetatively through fragmentation and division rather than from topped stem cuttings. The horizontal axis branches and daughter fronds form along it; when a portion separates, each fragment continues growing as an independent plant. Its size varies with how crowded it is among other plants, so giving fragments open surface space encourages faster expansion.
Step-by-Step
- Select a healthy mat with firm green fronds and visible side branches.
- Gently pull or pinch the mat apart at a branch point so each piece keeps several fronds.
- Float each fragment on calm water; floaters thrive best where current is lowest.
- Leave open surface space so the fragments can spread without crowding.
- Allow a few days for new fronds to appear, then divide again once the mat thickens.
Conditions for Healthy Growth
Provide medium lighting and calm water with minimal surface agitation, since strong current pushes floaters together and damages them. No CO2 or substrate is needed; the fern draws nutrients from the water column, which makes it a useful low-demand nutrient absorber.
Maintenance
Thin the mat roughly weekly by scooping out excess plants. Regular thinning keeps light reaching plants below and prevents the surface from being completely sealed off. Healthy roots can regrow new fronds even after a setback, so keep firm portions when removing damaged ones.
Common Challenges
Floating Salvinia can turn brown and melt, often after shipping stress or excess surface flow; the roots may stay healthy and recover. Overgrowth is the most common issue because the mat shades everything beneath it.