Plant Profile Micranthemum Umbrosum, or Giant Baby Tears, is a bright green aquatic stem plant native to the ponds, ditches, and damp soils of the southeastern United States and Central America that's basically Pearl Weed's bigger, bolder cousin. Tiny, perfectly round leaves grow in opposing pairs along delicate, creeping stems, and while it gets compared to Pearl Weed a lot, the rounder, larger leaves are what earned it the "Giant" in its name. Highly adaptable, it can be pruned frequently under strong light to form a lush foreground carpet, or left untrimmed to create soft, bushy midground and background accent mounds. *Form Notice: Photos display this plant in both its emersed (above-water) and submerged forms. Depending on nursery availability and seasonality, you may receive this plant in either form. Learn more about what to expect by reading our guide on Emersed vs. Submerged-Grown Aquatic Plants. Key Features & Benefits Round, bright-green leaves add fine texture and color contrast to foreground and midground zones. Trains into a low foreground carpet with pruning, or grows tall as a bushy background stem. Beginner-friendly alternative to more demanding foreground carpet plants. Care & Planting Instructions Remove lead weight (or pot) and remove cotton wrap (or foam) surrounding the roots, then strip lower foliage so bare stems anchor cleanly into soil without rotting. Use fine-tip pinsettes to plant small stem bundles 1 inch apart into substrate, ensuring other taller foliage does not shade them out. Provide moderate-to-high lighting and clean water conditions; while adaptable without CO2, supplying pressurized CO2 (6–14 ppm) and strong lighting yields much denser, horizontal creeping growth. Maintain stable water parameters and avoid sudden environmental shifts to prevent leaf melt or stem rotting. Trim stem tops with curved scissors to shape into desired mounds or carpets, and replant trimmings directly into substrate to propagate and expand coverage. Read our trimming & propagation guide for details. Quick Facts Listed information should be treated as general guidelines only. Team Buce Plant encourages you to do thorough research to ensure healthy growth! Attribute Specification Scientific Name Micranthemum umbrosum Common Name(s) Micranthemum Umbrosum, Giant Baby Tears, Shade Mudflower Family Linderniaceae / Scrophulariaceae Plant Type / Taxonomy Stem / Carpeting Plant Care Difficulty Easy / Beginner Light Requirement Medium to High CO2 Requirement Optional / Recommended (6–14 ppm for dense carpets) Placement / Usage Foreground Carpet / Midground Bush / Background Height / Size 2–6”+ Growth Rate Moderate to Fast Water Parameters pH 6.0–7.5 (Adaptable) Propagation Method Cuttings (Cut stem bundles and replant) Origin North America / Central America Frequently Asked Questions 1. Why are the lower leaves turning yellow or falling off my stem plants? Lower leaf loss (leggy stems) usually occurs when lighting cannot reach the bottom of the plant due to overcrowding or shading from larger plants. Spacing individual stem clusters slightly apart during initial planting and maintaining adequate light penetration will keep lower foliage healthy. 2. Can I grow Micranthemum Umbrosum without CO2 injection? Yes, Micranthemum Umbrosum is an easygoing plant that can be grown without pressurized CO2 injection. However, without CO2 and strong light, it will grow taller and looser rather than spreading as a dense, low horizontal carpet. 3. How do I transition Micranthemum Umbrosum from emersed to submerged growth? When transitioning from emersed to submerged growth, plant bare stems securely into substrate under adequate lighting and keep water parameters stable. As new growth adapts, the plant will shed its land foliage and sprout soft, bright-green underwater leaves. Once new shoots take root, trim away old lower growth to encourage dense branching.
