The Seaside brookweed is a small, herbaceous plant from Europe, Asia and North America, belonging to the Primrose family (Primulaceae). It occurs in moist to temporarily flooded, often salty places, mostly near the sea shore. Under water it forms a small, to about 15 cm high, light green leaf rosette with obovate to spathulate leaves. As terrestrial plant and in shallow water an upright stem arises from the rosette, developing small white flowers and seed capsules. Samolus valerandi is long known in the aquarium hobby, also as Samolus floribundus and S. parviflorus. It is a relative easy to grow plant, best suited to the midground of the tank. It is a stem plant that that remains short and red under high light conditions, producing leaves in a tight bunch that almost seem to sprout from a center rosette. However, it produces taller shoots when overcrowded or under insufficient lighting. Stronger lighting also induces redder coloration in this species, while growing it in more moderate lighting produces orange hues. Richer dosing, or having a rich substrate produces rounder, fuller leaves. Poorer lighting and nutrient lean conditions produce greener and thinner leaves. The plant is quite hardy and can grow in non CO2 injected tanks and also in harder, more alkaline water. However, it grows with fuller leaves with better coloration with CO2 injection. It has moderate growth rates compared to other aquarium plants and thus is easily managed as less frequent pruning is required.
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