Pennywort Brazilian (Hydrocotyle Leucocephala)

Pennywort Brazilian (Hydrocotyle Leucocephala)

Pennywort Brazilian (Hydrocotyle leucocephala) is a fast-growing, versatile stem plant from Brazil, instantly recognizable by its round, coin-shaped leaves that look like miniature lily pads on slender stems. Easy to grow and highly adaptable, it can be planted, allowed to trail through the water column, or left floating at the surface, making it a great choice for hobbyists who want both visual interest and functional shade for their fish.

Pennywort Brazilian Overview

In the aquarium, Pennywort Brazilian develops a chain of circular leaves, usually about one to two inches in diameter, connected by a flexible stem. Depending on how you use it, the plant can form a bushy midground cluster, a trailing backdrop that reaches the surface, or a floating mat that spreads across the top of the tank.

Aquarists value Hydrocotyle leucocephala for:

• Unique leaf shape and texture: The round, umbrella-like leaves add a completely different look from typical stem and rosette plants, making the aquascape feel more dynamic and interesting.
• Flexible placement options: It can be planted in the foreground or midground, trained along hardscape, or left floating at the surface to create natural shade and cover.
• Great for shade and security: When allowed to reach or float at the surface, the leaves quickly spread and diffuse light, helping skittish fish feel more secure and providing gentle cover for fry and smaller species.
• Fast growth and nutrient uptake: Its rapid growth helps it absorb excess nutrients from the water column, which can support overall tank stability and help in tanks where you’re battling excess nutrients or algae.

Pennywort Brazilian looks especially attractive when planted around aquascaping rocks like Seiryu Stone, Petrified Rock or at the base of driftwood pieces such as Stump Wood or Tiger Wood, where its round leaves can trail up and around the hardscape. It pairs well with carpeting plants like Monte Carlo or Chain Sword in the foreground and taller background stems or Cryptocorynes behind it, creating a rich, layered layout.

Pennywort Brazilian is also available potted, which can make initial planting and establishment even easier.

Care Guide for Pennywort Brazilian

Pennywort Brazilian is very forgiving and adapts well to a wide range of water conditions, which makes it suitable for both beginners and more experienced aquascapers. It tolerates varied hardness and pH, and will grow in cooler or warmer tanks, as long as extremes are avoided.

The plant grows noticeably faster under moderate to strong lighting, where it can quickly put out new leaves and extend toward the surface. In lower light, growth will be slower and more open, but still manageable. Because of its rapid growth rate, Pennywort often benefits from regular trimming to keep it dense and compact. If left untrimmed, stems will soon reach the surface, and the plant will spread across the top, providing broad shade.

You can use Pennywort Brazilian in several ways. It can be planted in the substrate as a midground or even a tall foreground accent, where repeated trimming encourages bushier growth. It can be allowed to trail up and around hardscape, using rocks and driftwood as natural supports, or left floating at the surface, where it quickly creates a canopy that shades the tank and offers cover to fish and fry.

When trimming, sharp aquascaping scissors are strongly recommended so you can make clean cuts without crushing stems. Our aquascaping scissors to cut and tweezers to plant stems securely and shape the plant as it grows are perfect for this. Cut tops can be replanted as new stems, allowing you to thicken groups or start new clusters elsewhere in the tank.

While Pennywort does not require CO₂, it will grow even faster and more robust in tanks with stable CO₂ supplementation and a consistent fertilization routine. A nutrient-rich substrate and/or regular dosing of a complete liquid fertilizer will support healthier, fuller growth and vibrant green leaves.

• Light: Medium–High (grows faster and denser with stronger light)
• Temperature Range: 59–82°F
• Placement: Midground, Foreground accent, or Floating
• CO₂: Not required (beneficial in high-energy setups)
• Difficulty: Easy
• Growth Rate: Fast

With basic care—adequate light, occasional trimming, and reasonable nutrients—Pennywort Brazilian can quickly become a signature plant in your aquascape, providing both beauty and practical benefits like shade and nutrient uptake.

Shop with Confidence for Plants at Modern Aquarium

At Modern Aquarium, each Pennywort Brazilian plant is carefully inspected, cleaned, and prepared by hand before shipping so you receive healthy, vigorous stems ready to plant or float in your aquarium.

• Top Quality Store & real reviews: Modern Aquarium has been designated by Google as a Top Quality Store and has thousands of individual verified reviews from real customers, so you can shop with confidence.
• Live Arrival Guarantee & fast delivery: All of our live plants are backed by our Live Arrival Guarantee and shipped via FedEx 2-Day delivery to help ensure they arrive fresh, vibrant, and ready to thrive.
• Trusted sourcing: Our plants are sourced from some of the best nurseries in Florida and handled with care from the grower to your aquarium.
• What You See Is What You Get: The images on our site are typical representations of the plants we sell—no unrealistic stock photos. Because live plants are natural products, individual specimens will vary in size, fullness, and exact leaf count.
• Support when you need it: You can reach us through the chat feature on our website or simply give us a call—we’re happy to help with practical advice on planting, trimming, floating growth, and combining Pennywort with other plants like Anubias, Java Fern, or carpeting species.

To complete your layout, pair Pennywort Brazilian with carefully chosen aquascaping rocks, driftwood (such as Saba Wood, Blackwood, or Driftwood on Slate), and subtle botanicals for a more natural, stream-inspired look. Add in high-quality diets from our fish food selection and, if needed, helpful algae grazers like Tiger Eye Nerite Snails, and you’ll have a vibrant, balanced aquarium where both plants and fish can thrive.