Want a grass lawn with a clean start? Dwarf Hairgrass spreads by runner into a fine, meadow-like carpet — the classic Iwagumi foreground. This is the sterile Vitro Culture® format, free of snails, algae and pesticide residue.
You may know it as Eleocharis parvula. That is the trade name — see the note below.
What You’ll Receive
- Sold as a Tissue Culture plants with vitamin liquid/gel
- Bag size: Approx. 4 inches (yield many young plants)
- Sustainable growth aquarium plants species
- Tissue Culture Technology | 100% Free from Snail, Algae, Pathogen, and Bacteria plus Extended Shelf Life on all in Vitro Plants
Plant Profile
- Common name — Dwarf Hairgrass
- Scientific name — Eleocharis pusilla
- Also known as — Eleocharis parvula (misapplied trade name)
- Origin — Australia and New Zealand
- Placement — Foreground
- Shipped size — Small tissue-cultured plantlets, roughly 1-2 in
- Mature height — 3–6 in
- Suits — 10 gallons and up
- Growth rate — Medium
Why two scientific names?
Dwarf Hairgrass has been sold as Eleocharis parvula in the aquarium trade for a very long time, and most hobbyists still know it by that name.
Eleocharis parvula is a real species — but it is a brackish water plant, not suited to freshwater aquariums. Almost everything sold in the hobby under that label is in fact Eleocharis pusilla, a freshwater species.
So the plant you receive is Eleocharis pusilla: the same Dwarf Hairgrass you have always bought, correctly named, and genuinely suited to a freshwater tank.
Care
- Difficulty — Intermediate
- Light — Medium to high. Light must reach the substrate for it to carpet
- CO₂ — Recommended, not required
- Water — 68–82°F · pH 6.0–7.5
- Substrate — Required. Root feeder — nutrient substrate or root tabs
- Growth habit — Amphibious. Dry start works well
- Propagation — Substrate runners
Grower’s Notes
- Divide the cup into many small portions. Plant groups of a few blades an inch apart. Runners only travel into open substrate, so a single lump takes months longer to fill a foreground than the same plant spread out.
- Keeping it alive is easy; carpeting it is not. That gap is why this is rated Intermediate. Survival needs little, but a dense low lawn needs strong light at substrate level and usually CO₂.
- Light reaching the substrate decides carpet versus stretch. Shaded hairgrass grows long and thin instead of dense and low.
- Rinse the gel off completely before planting or it clouds water and feeds algae in the first weeks.
- Expect the emersed blades to melt back after planting. New growth comes from the runners, not the original blades.
Compare with Dwarf Hairgrass 'Mini' (1–2 in, tightest carpet) and standard Dwarf Hairgrass (rooted portions).
Want to go deeper? Read our complete Dwarf Hairgrass Care Guide.
Notes
- Pictures are not the actual plants you will receive, but a sample representation. Unless specific, we don't guarantee aquatic plants will be free of pests, and pesticides, grow emerged or submerge.
- Never release aquarium plants into natural waterways.
Shipping Policy
At Aquarium Plants Factory, we carefully package and ship all orders to ensure plants and livestock arrive healthy and ready to thrive.
Order Processing Time
Most orders are processed within 1–2 business days after payment is received.
Orders placed on weekends or holidays will be processed on the next business day.
Orders containing out-of-stock, pre-order, or backorder items may require additional handling time.
Once your order ships, tracking information will be sent to your email.
Shipping Schedule
Live Plants
Live plant orders ship Monday through Saturday when using United States Postal Service (USPS).
Most plant-only orders ship within 1–3 business days, excluding products that are out of stock, pre-order, or backorder.
Estimated USPS delivery time is 2–5 business days, depending on your location.
UPS Express Shipping
We offer the following UPS expedited shipping options:
UPS 2-Day Air®
Estimated delivery: 2 business days
Please note that UPS 2-Day Air® is not a guaranteed service in the event of carrier delays, weather disruptions, or operational issues.
UPS Next Day Air®
Estimated delivery: 1 business day
This service is guaranteed by UPS according to their service guarantee policies.
UPS expedited orders ship Monday through Wednesday only to ensure packages arrive within the same week and avoid weekend delays.
Please note that orders require 1–2 business days of handling time before shipment.
To help ensure same-week delivery, please place UPS orders on or before Tuesday at 6:00 AM Pacific Time (PT).
Live Animals Shipping
Live animal orders ship Monday through Wednesday only.
This schedule ensures animals arrive within the same week and do not remain in transit over the weekend.
Handling time for live animal orders typically ranges from 1–5 business days, depending on:
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Weather conditions
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Livestock health
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Shipping destination
Tracking information will be emailed once the order has been shipped.
Free Shipping
We offer Free Shipping on eligible orders over $150 within the contiguous United States.
Estimated delivery time for free shipping orders is 2–5 business days.
If your order contains both live plants and live animals, the shipment may be combined and the appropriate shipping rate will be shown at checkout.
Free Shipping is not available for customers located in:
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Alaska
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Hawaii
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Puerto Rico
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Guam
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U.S. Virgin Islands
Customers in these locations must select Expedited or Express shipping options at checkout.
Delivery Time Estimates
Delivery times shown at checkout are estimates provided by the shipping carrier.
While we work hard to ship orders quickly, delivery times may vary due to factors outside of our control, including:
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Weather conditions
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Carrier delays
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High shipping volumes
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Transportation disruptions
Aquarium Plants Factory is not responsible for shipping delays caused by the carrier.
Delayed or Lost Packages
Occasionally, shipments may take longer than expected.
A package is considered lost only after 15 business days (approximately 3 weeks) from the ship date.
If a package is confirmed lost by the carrier, we may offer a 50/50 replacement, meaning:
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Aquarium Plants Factory covers 50% of the replacement cost
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The customer covers 50% plus shipping
Address Accuracy
Customers are responsible for providing a complete and accurate shipping address when placing an order.
Please ensure that your address is correct when using payment methods such as:
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Credit / Debit Card
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PayPal
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Apple Pay
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Google Pay
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Amazon Pay
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Shopify Pay
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AliPay
Orders returned due to:
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Incorrect address
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Refused delivery
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Failed delivery attempts
may not be eligible for a refund.
Order Cancellations
If you need to cancel an order, please contact us as soon as possible.
Orders can only be canceled before they have been shipped.
Once an order has been shipped, it can no longer be canceled.
Returns
Due to the sensitive nature of live goods, all sales are final.
We do not accept returns or exchanges for:
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Live plants
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Live animals
For any shipping questions, please contact us before placing your order.
Aquarium Plants Factory
https://www.AquariumPlantsFactory.com
WHAT WE GUARANTEE
24 Hours Live Arrival Guarantee* - In a rare case of live stocks dead on arrival, we must be notified within 24 hours by the same day of delivery. Please take clear photos of the damaged product and send it to us within 24 hours. Live Arrival Guarantee will be void after 24 hours of delivery. All replacements are considered final and we will not replace the replacement.
- Picture requirements: Take at least 2 clear photos of damaged product in their original, unopened & sealed transparent packing and send photos and orders information to our email within 24 hours: aquariumplantsfactory@gmail.com
- Please do not take picture of damaged plants, or animals in your aquarium. Once they have been introduced to your aquarium's ecosystem. It is no longer covered by our guarantee.
Please be aware that our Live Arrival Guarantee is subject to certain conditions. Specifically, the guarantee will not be applicable in cases where the package is marked as 'invalid address', 'undeliverable' or is 'returned to sender.' This includes situations such as a vacant delivery address, a missing apartment number, or any other issues that prevent the postal service from delivering your package.
It is crucial to provide accurate and complete shipping information to ensure the successful delivery of your order and the applicability of the Live Arrival Guarantee.
Please keep in mind that Live Arrival Guarantee only guarantees that live stocks will be alive upon arrival. We cannot guarantee that you will continue to have success with them. Many factors, including the aquarium environment, water quality, nutrient, temperature, lighting, filter, and CO2 system, can contribute to the failure to grow live plants and live animals.
WHAT WE CAN'T GUARANTEE
Even though our plants are very clean, but we can't guarantee they will be 100% pest-free because we cannot be responsible for your aquarium. Please use it at your own risk. We recommended all customers rinse the plants with clean water and quarantine them before use.
However, plants in tissue culture will be 100% free from pests, algae and never have been contacting with any aquarium.
- Due to the nature of the product. We don't guarantee our plants will be pests free. ( snails, algae, hitchhikers )
- We don't guarantee our plants will be free of pesticides. We use homemade, organic pesticides in our greenhouse to control pests. We do not use pesticides that contain copper. Copper is toxic to invertebrates such as aquatic snails, crabs, shrimps, etc
- We don't guarantee your aquarium success or are responsible for your aquarium inhabitant including but not limited to fish, shrimp, snail, turtle, etc. So please quarantine all plants when use!
- Unless specific, we don't guarantee aquatic plants will be grow emerged or submerge.
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.
Tissue culture plants arrive healthy and green with good quality. Customers said plants are "very well wrapped" with "no snails" and thrive after planting. However, one shopper noted the bag contains less quantity than pictured cups, suggesting buyers may want to purchase extra for adequate coverage.
- All came healthy and green in clumps large enough to break into sections.
- Very well wrapped, no snails and plants look good.
- Very healthy and robust. Sending out a runner just a few days later.
J
The dwarf hair grass tissue culture came in healthy. However, it's a bag not the cup. The quantity in the bag is less than what you get in a cup like it's pictured on the website. You might want to buy an extra. What's in the picture is 1 bag in a 14 gallon cube.
R
Came in a timely manner and plants were very well wrapped best thing no snails and plants look good so far.
M
Planted these along 60 other plants in a new aquarium. It has been 10 days and every has been thriving
B
All came healthy and green in clumps large enough to break into sections without it being a mess.
P
Very healthy and robust. Sending out a runner just a few days later.
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