Cardamine lyrata (Japanese cress) is a popular, easy-to-care-for, cold-water tolerant aquarium stem plant from Asia that features bright green, roundish leaves and a creeping, trailing growth habit. It thrives in moderate to high light (0.5+ W/L), prefers cool water (under 28^\circ\text{C} or 82^\circ\text{F}), and grows 20-70 cm tall. Key Details and Care Tips Ideal Setup: Best in cooler, temperate, or "mountain stream" style, and open-top aquariums, as it can grow emersed. Appearance: Features light-green, round, or, kidney-shaped leaves on, slender, stems. It forms, dense, bushes, or, crawls, over, driftwood. Lighting & CO2: Prefers medium to high light. While it can grow without CO2, supplementation encourages denser growth. Temperature: Thrives in 15–22°C (59–72°F). Temperatures above 28^\circ\text{C} (82^\circ\text{F}) make the plant leggy with smaller leaves. Propagation: Easily propagated via stem cuttings. Maintenance: Regular pruning is necessary to maintain a bushy shape. Cardamine lyrata is also suitable for, small, garden, ponds, during, summer.
