Cardamine Lyrata Vitro Culture

Round leaves on trailing stems, and it likes it cool. Cardamine lyrata — Japanese Cress — creeps rather than stands, sending stems with bright rounded leaves across the substrate and over driftwood. It comes from temperate East Asia and does best between 65 and 75°F, which makes it a useful choice for an unheated or lightly heated tank. This is the sterile Vitro Culture® (tissue culture) format.

What You'll Receive

• Sold in a 4-inch sealed Vitro Culture® bag, yielding 3–4 healthy plant clusters ready for aquarium planting

Plant Profile

• Common name — Japanese Cress
• Scientific name — Cardamine lyrata
• Also known as — Cardamine, Chinese Ivy
• Origin — Temperate East Asia
• Placement — Midground; trails over hardscape
• Shipped size — 4-inch bag, approx. 3–4 clusters
• Mature height — 4–10 in
• Suits — 10 gallons and up
• Growth rate — Fast

Care

• Difficulty — Beginner
• Light — Medium. Stronger light keeps it compact rather than stretched
• CO₂ — Not required. It grows well in low-tech tanks
• Water — 65–75°F · pH 6.5–7.5. It prefers cooler water than most tropical plants
• Substrate — Not required, though growth improves over a fed base
• Growth habit — Amphibious. Excellent emersed in paludariums and terrariums
• Propagation — Cuttings — every stem section roots

Grower's Notes

• Keep it cool. This is a temperate species, not a tropical one. Above about 78°F it stretches, thins and drops leaves. In a room-temperature or lightly heated tank it thrives — which is the opposite of most plants in this catalog.
• Let it trail rather than planting it upright. The stems creep and drape naturally over wood and rock. Trying to grow it as a vertical stem plant fights the way it wants to grow.
• Rinse the gel off and separate the clusters before planting, spacing them out so the runners have somewhere to go.
• Trim regularly. It grows fast and the round leaves look best on young compact growth; older stems bare off at the base.
• Round foliage is genuinely uncommon underwater, so it reads as contrast against the fine and strap-leaved plants most tanks already have.

Notes

• As with all aquarium plants, Cardamine lyrata may transition from its emersed tissue culture form to submerged growth. Some initial leaf melt is normal as the plant adapts to your aquarium conditions.
• Never release aquarium plants into natural waterways.

At a glance

• Free shipping on orders of $150 or more (after discounts) within the contiguous United States, by USPS.
• Free thermal protection is included with every shipment, all year round.
• Processing: most orders leave us within 1 to 2 business days. Tracking is emailed when your order ships.
• USPS (2 to 5 business days) ships Monday through Saturday.
• UPS 2nd Day Air® ships Monday through Wednesday. Order by Tuesday at 6:00 AM Pacific Time for same-week delivery.
• UPS Next Day Air® ships Monday through Thursday. Order by Wednesday at 6:00 AM Pacific Time for same-week delivery.
• Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and military addresses ship by USPS at a flat rate shown at checkout.
• Weather holds: during extreme heat or cold we may hold live orders until it's safe to ship.
• We ship within the United States only.

Please bring live plants indoors and unpack them the day they arrive. Every live order is covered by our 24-Hour Live Arrival Guarantee.

The complete rules, including lost packages and address issues, are in our Shipping Policy. If anything conflicts, that policy applies.

Every live order is backed by our 24-Hour Live Arrival Guarantee. If a plant arrives dead, we'll make it right.

How it works

• Tell us within 24 hours of the delivery time on your tracking.
• Send photos of the affected items in their original, unopened packaging, plus a photo of the shipping label, to hello@aquariumplantsfactory.com with your order number.
• We'll make it right with a replacement, store credit or refund for the affected item.

Good to know

• Some melting or yellowing as plants adjust from greenhouse to aquarium life is normal. They regrow from healthy roots and rhizomes.
• Please bring your package indoors and unpack it the day it arrives.
• Free promotional items and shipping charges are not covered.

The complete rules, including what's covered and what voids the guarantee, are in our Returns, Refunds & Live Arrival Guarantee. If anything conflicts, that policy applies.

Please review your state's regulations on restricted plants, as we are committed to not shipping plants that are restricted in your area. Do not release any plants into the wild or waterways, as this can harm local ecosystems by introducing invasive species.

Your cooperation in protecting the environment is appreciated. For continuously updated information, refer to the USDA State Noxious Weed list here.

Thank you for your responsible commitment to environmental preservation.