Aquarium plant guide
Background aquarium plants
Background aquarium plants are tall-growing species placed at the rear of the tank to create depth and a natural wall of green. They provide cover for open-water swimmers, diffuse filter outflow, and anchor the visual composition of a scape. Most are stem plants pruned regularly to encourage dense, bushy growth.
67 plants in this category

African HygroHygrophila odora

AmbuliaLimnophila heterophylla

Asian WatergrassMurdannia keisak

Balansae CryptCryptocoryne crispatula 'Balansae'

Boivinianus AponogetonAponogeton boivinianus

Colorata RotalaRotala colorata

Compact HygroHygrophila corymbosa 'Compact'

Compact MoneywortBacopa monnieri 'Compact'

Corkscrew ValVallisneria asiatica

Creeping BacopaBacopa australis

Creeping RushJuncus repens

Diamond LudwigiaLudwigia glandulosa 'Diamond'

Dwarf Aquarium LilyNymphaea stellata

Four Leaf PogostemonPogostemon quadrifolius

Giant AmbuliaLimnophila aquatica

Giant Baby TearsMicranthemum umbrosum

Giant Red RotalaRotala macrandra

Giant ValVallisneria gigantea

Green RotalaRotala rotundifolia 'Green'

Guppy GrassNajas guadalupensis

Guyana MyriophyllumMyriophyllum sp. 'Guyana'

H'ra RotalaRotala rotundifolia 'Vietnam H'ra'

Helferi GrassCyperus helferi

Hygrophila PinnatifidaHygrophila pinnatifida

Indian Guppy GrassNajas indica

Japanese CressCardamine lyrata

Lemon BacopaBacopa caroliniana

Lilacina ARAlternanthera reineckii 'Lilacina'

Limnophila AromaticaLimnophila hippuridoides

Limnophila BelemLimnophila sp. 'Belem'

Limnophila Vietnam MiniLimnophila sp. 'Vietnam Mini'

Longiplumulosus AponogetonAponogeton longiplumulosus

Ludwigia CubaLudwigia inclinata 'Cuba'

Ludwigia Super RedLudwigia palustris 'Super Red'

Mexican OakleafShinnersia rivularis

Needle Leaf LudwigiaLudwigia arcuata 'Needle Leaf'

Orange Juice RotalaRotala rotundifolia 'Orange Juice'

Pearl WeedMicranthemum micranthemoides

Pink ARAlternanthera reineckii 'Pink'

Pogostemon ErectusPogostemon erectus

Purple BacopaBacopa salzmannii 'Purple'

Red BacopaBacopa caroliniana 'Red'

Red BlyxaBlyxa aubertii 'Red'

Red Tiger CryptCryptocoryne spiralis 'Red Tiger'

Retrospiralis CryptCryptocoryne retrospiralis

Rosanervig ARAlternanthera reineckii 'Rosanervig'

Rotala Blood RedRotala rotundifolia 'Blood Red'

Rotala CeylonRotala rotundifolia 'Ceylon'

Rotala RotundifoliaRotala rotundifolia

Rotala WayanadRotala sp. 'Wayanad'

Roundleaf LinderniaLindernia rotundifolia

Rubin LudwigiaLudwigia repens 'Rubin'

StargrassHeteranthera zosterifolia

Staurogyne BiharStaurogyne sp. 'Bihar'

Temple Plant 53BHygrophila corymbosa 'Siamensis 53B'

Tiger LotusNymphaea zenkeri

Tropica SwordEchinodorus grisebachii 'Tropica'

Ulvaceus AponogetonAponogeton ulvaceus

Umbrella HairgrassEleocharis vivipara

Usteriana CryptCryptocoryne usteriana

Variegated ARAlternanthera reineckii 'Variegated'

Wallichii RotalaRotala wallichii

Water SpriteCeratopteris thalictroides

Water VioletHottonia palustris

Water WisteriaHygrophila difformis

Watermelon PlantLindernia rotundifolia 'Watermelon'

Whorly RotalaRotala wallichii
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