Want one plant that can be a carpet or a hedge? Pearl Weed does both — trimmed low it creeps sideways into a fine bright-green mat, left alone it grows upright into a bushy column. Few plants change role that completely depending on how you cut them.
You may know it as Micranthemum micranthemoides or Hemianthus micranthemoides. Those are the same plant — see the note below.
What You’ll Receive
Enhance your aquascape with our premium-quality Micranthemum glomeratus, available in three flexible planting formats:
- Fresh-Cut Plants: Approx. 6+ unrooted, loose fresh-cut stems – flexible for custom layout
- Fresh-Cut Bunched: Approx. 6+ unrooted stems bundled with foam and plant weight for easy placement
- Fresh-Cut Potted: Approx. 6+ unrooted stems securely potted in a net pot with rockwool for stable growth
Plant Profile
- Common name — Pearl Weed, also known as Pearl Grass, Baby Tears
- Scientific name — Micranthemum glomeratus
- Also known as — Micranthemum micranthemoides, Hemianthus micranthemoides (both outdated)
- Origin — Florida
- Placement — Foreground to midground
- Shipped size — Approx. 6+ fresh-cut stems, roughly 2-4 in
- Mature height — 2–4 in trimmed, taller left upright
- Suits — 5 gallons and up
- Growth rate — Medium
Why two scientific names?
Pearl Weed was sold for decades as Micranthemum micranthemoides (also written Hemianthus micranthemoides), and most aquarists still know it by those names.
Micranthemum micranthemoides was a real species from the tidal river margins of the eastern United States. It has not been recorded in the wild since the 1940s and is considered extinct. The plant circulating in the hobby under that label was correctly identified in 2011 as a different, living species — Micranthemum glomeratus, from Florida.
So the plant you receive is Micranthemum glomeratus: the same Pearl Weed you have always bought, correctly named.
Care
- Difficulty — Beginner
- Light — Medium. More light gives tighter, denser growth
- CO₂ — Not required. It carpets faster with it, but does not need it
- Water — 68–82°F · pH 6.0–7.5
- Substrate — Required. Nutrient substrate makes a visible difference
- Growth habit — Amphibious. Also grows emersed in paludariums
- Propagation — Cuttings — trim and replant stem tops
Grower’s Notes
- Trimming decides what plant you get. Cut it back repeatedly and it branches sideways into a carpet. Leave it and it climbs into a soft green bush. Decide which you want before planting, because the two need different spacing.
- Don't bury the stems deeply. They are fine and rot if pushed too far into substrate — plant just enough to hold them.
- Replant the trimmings. Cut tops root readily at the nodes, so one portion fills a foreground over a couple of months at no extra cost.
- In a nano tank its tiny leaves work as a background filler as well as a carpet — unusual flexibility for a single species.
Prefer the sterile format? See Pearl Weed Vitro Culture, free of snails and algae.
Want to go deeper? Read our complete Micranthemum Care Guide.
Notes
- Images shown are sample representations only. Live plants may vary in size, color, and form based on growing conditions. Unless stated otherwise, plants may arrive in emersed form and are not guaranteed to be pest- or pesticide-free.
- 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:
-
Weather conditions
-
Livestock health
-
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:
-
Alaska
-
Hawaii
-
Puerto Rico
-
Guam
-
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:
-
Weather conditions
-
Carrier delays
-
High shipping volumes
-
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:
-
Aquarium Plants Factory covers 50% of the replacement cost
-
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:
-
Credit / Debit Card
-
PayPal
-
Apple Pay
-
Google Pay
-
Amazon Pay
-
Shopify Pay
-
AliPay
Orders returned due to:
-
Incorrect address
-
Refused delivery
-
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:
-
Live plants
-
Live animals
For any shipping questions, please contact us before placing your order.
Aquarium Plants Factory
https://www.AquariumPlantsFactory.com
What We Guarantee
24-Hour Live Arrival Guarantee — We guarantee that live plants and live aquatic animals will arrive alive. In the rare case of a Dead on Arrival (DOA), you must notify us within 24 hours of the delivery time recorded on the carrier's official tracking page. The guarantee is void after that 24-hour window, as condition can no longer be attributed to transit.
How to Submit a Claim
- Take at least 2 clear, well-lit photos of the affected items in their original, unopened, sealed packaging, plus a photo of the shipping label on the box.
- Email your photos and order number to hello@aquariumplantsfactory.com within 24 hours of delivery.
- Do not photograph plants or animals after they have been unpacked, planted, or introduced to your aquarium — once an item enters your aquarium's ecosystem, it is no longer covered.
Approved claims are resolved with a replacement, store credit, or refund at our discretion, under the terms of our Refund Policy. Each item is eligible for one replacement only — replacements are final and we cannot replace a replacement.
Conditions That Void the Guarantee
- Incorrect or incomplete shipping address (vacant address, missing apartment number, or any issue that prevents delivery)
- Packages marked "invalid address," "undeliverable," refused, or returned to sender
- Packages left unclaimed, held at a carrier facility at the customer's request, or not retrieved promptly after delivery — live goods must be brought indoors and unpacked the day they arrive
- Carrier delays, weather events, or delivery exceptions once the package has left our facility
- Shipments to freight forwarders or package-forwarding services
Providing accurate, complete shipping information and monitoring your tracking are essential to keeping your guarantee valid.
Please note: the Live Arrival Guarantee covers arrival only. We cannot guarantee ongoing success — aquarium environment, water quality, nutrients, temperature, lighting, filtration, and CO2 all affect long-term results.
What We Can't Guarantee
- Pest-free plants (potted & bare-root): Although our plants are grown in our own clean greenhouse, we cannot guarantee they are 100% free of snails, algae, or other hitchhikers. We recommend rinsing and quarantining all plants before adding them to your aquarium. Tissue culture (in vitro) plants are the exception — they are grown in sterile lab conditions, are 100% free of pests, algae, and disease, and have never been in contact with any aquarium.
- Pesticide-free plants: We use homemade, organic pest control in our greenhouse and never use copper-based pesticides, which are toxic to invertebrates such as snails, crabs, and shrimp. However, we cannot guarantee plants are entirely pesticide-free — always rinse and quarantine before use in invertebrate tanks.
- Your aquarium's success: We are not responsible for your aquarium inhabitants, including fish, shrimp, snails, and turtles. Please quarantine all plants before use.
- Growth form: Unless specified, we do not guarantee plants will grow emersed or submersed in your particular setup.
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.
Customers praised these aquatic plants for arriving healthy and well-packaged. Many noted "beautiful bright green" color and strong growth once established. Some concerns about small initial size and slow rooting period. Customers appreciated potted options and felt "value/dollar cost was extremely pleasing."
- So so so pretty, one of my favorites. Seems to already be growing.
- Healthy roots, easy to divide and plant.
- Great quality. Has taken off since planting about a week ago.
D
All of my plants arrived healthy and I will be buying more plants soon!
C
So so so pretty, one of my favorites. This plant has been in my aquarium for a week and is doing incredibly! It seems to already be growing. Pictured day one and day seven.
A
Great leaf health and it has adjusted well to the tank! Beautiful bright green!
S
All my plants arrived healthy and are thriving. I ordered during the summer and they were warm when they arrived but they all are in great condition .
D
Everything i krdered was so healthy and in great condition. I will order again!
C
I've gotten pearl weed from other vendors before that showed up as a ratty messy blob that melted away and died with in a week. I went with the potted option here and it was perfect, no melted leaves, healthy roots, easy to divide and plant.
J
All of the plants we have received from Aquarium Plants Factory have all arrived in beautiful shape. Thank you so much!
J
Received a clump of super tiny specimens. Been in the tank for awhile with ferts, no signs of growth yet. Keeping fingers crossed.
V
Just a little small, but nice
S
Very happy return customer, I got the pearl weed in gel, order was well insulated against the cold. Washed the gel off and planted straight into my substrate. Has taken off since planting about a week ago.
B
The stem plants I got were great and everything was in great condition the only reason I dident give a 5 star is I felt that the foreground plant I received was just on the small side
M
These do not take well in general but they came very healthy. Takes a while to root but did not lose much
B
these plants are lovely :)!
M
My soul purpose of purchasing plants was for pearl weed. I’m so disappointed that it literally disappeared in my tank. I don’t have anything in my tank that will eat it and I didn’t find anything in my filter that would suggest it got sucked up. It literally was there one second and gone the next.
But to be fair. The plant was stunning when it arrived and I strongly recommend purchasing it.
M
Green and bountiful pearlweed. I've been wanting to buy this plant but they are always out of stock. I hope to grow and harvest my own pearlweed.
D
Considering that each individual stem in the bunch can be planted separately, the value/dollar cost of this purchase was extremely pleasing. Well done.
K
Arrived quickly and looked very healthy. Examine all my new plants closely and had no hitchhiker pests or algae. After rinsing in well, they are in quarantine and looking good. Can't wait to plant in my tank and get a nice carpet going.
D
Plants were shipped as promised. They were packed with protective wrapping. I was very impressed with how healthy the plants looked. The portions that I received were more than I expected.
I will surely order from this company again!
N
Compared to other similar plants, pearlweed grows much faster as long as it's in a good substrate. It came in with a small amount of hair algae growth, but nothing that a little bleach dip couldn't fix(don't over-do it though, pearlweed is sensitive to this)
S
After I planted the pearlweed I purchased, they had to transition from emersed growth to submersed, and I had to trim off all the emersed leaves, now they have been fully adapted to underwater, though they take a while until they get growing but now finally starting to notice growth. Hardy plant for beginners but slow grower.
Recommended for You
Frequently Asked Questions
- Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh.
!
