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Species library › Vallisneria › Vallisneria spiralis
Other Well documented

Vallisneria spiralis

A submerged freshwater eelgrass with long ribbon leaves that spreads by runners, native from southern Europe and North Africa across the Middle East to South Asia and much of tropical Africa. It is an easy aquarium and pond plant that wants a rooted substrate, moderate light and stable water rather than any air conditions.

Vallisneria spiralis
Photo: Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
At home, aim for
Day Warm-growingTargets in Plantistry
Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry
Humidity —Band in Plantistry
Light Bright, filtered lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry
No rest periodAquatic

Where it grows wild

Grows fully submerged, rooted in sand or silt, in slow rivers, canals, lakes and ponds, often forming dense meadows in clear to slightly turbid water.

Lowland plant; records run from sea level to about 1,030 m, median 170 m.

Southern and central EuropeNorth AfricaMiddle EastCentral AsiaIndian subcontinentTropical and southern Africa

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates
✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it
✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light
✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it
✓ Substrate and airflow
✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

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Vallisneria americana

Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, used under its Public domain licence, unmodified.