Butterfly Moss – Rare Aquatic Moss with Wing-Like Leaves
Butterfly Moss (Plagiomnium sp. 'Butterfly') is a rare and captivating liverwort that brings natural beauty and structure to freshwater aquariums. Renowned for its rounded, overlapping leaves that resemble butterfly wings, this moss adds gentle texture and lush greenery to both nature-style and minimalist aquascapes. Despite its delicate appearance, Butterfly Moss is hardy, easy to care for, and suitable for a wide range of tank setups.
Whether you're designing a serene shrimp habitat or a detailed moss wall, Plagiomnium sp. 'Butterfly' is a superb choice for aquarists seeking rare, low-maintenance plants that offer both aesthetics and habitat benefits.
🌿 Key Features of Butterfly Moss
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Scientific Name: Plagiomnium sp. 'Butterfly'
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Common Name: Butterfly Moss
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Leaf Structure: Small, rounded leaves resembling butterfly wings
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Rhizoids Present: Hairlike structures often mistaken for algae serve as anchoring roots
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Versatile Use: Attachable to driftwood, stone, or substrate for foreground, midground, or vertical layouts
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Moderate Growth Rate: Forms lush green mats over time, requiring minimal trimming
✅ Optimal Growing Conditions
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Lighting: Low to medium (avoid direct, intense light to prevent drying)
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CO₂: Not required, though CO₂ supplementation can promote fuller growth
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Substrate: Not required—best attached to hardscape elements
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Water Parameters:
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pH: 6.0–7.5
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Temperature: 68–77°F (20–25°C)
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🐠 Aquascaping Benefits
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Aesthetic Focal Point: Unique, wing-like foliage provides visual interest in nature aquariums
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Shelter for Aquatic Life: Offers protective hiding places for shrimp, fry, and small fish
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Beginner Friendly: Low care requirements and slow, manageable growth
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Custom Layout Potential: Can be attached to mesh, rocks, driftwood, or left free-floating
🌱 Why Choose Butterfly Moss?
Butterfly Moss is an ideal choice for aquascapers who appreciate delicate structure with strong visual impact. Its elegant leaf pattern, ability to thrive in low-tech setups, and benefits to tank biodiversity make it a favorite for both seasoned and novice hobbyists. Whether used as a moss carpet or a cascading accent, it brings life and balance to any aquascape.
📦 What You’ll Receive
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Loose Portion: A small loose portion of Butterfly Moss, approximately 2" x 2" in size
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Ready to Attach: Ideal for gluing or tying to hardscape; will self-adhere over time
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Note: Occasionally may include a mix of other moss species due to its delicate nature
🔒 Disclaimer
Pictures are sample representations. Actual plants may vary slightly in size, shape, and density. Unless specifically noted, plants are not guaranteed to be pest- or pesticide-free, or grown in a particular form (emersed or submerged).
⚠️ State Restrictions Notice ♻️ Be a Responsible Aquatic Plants Owner
Please never release Butterfly Moss—or any aquatic plant—into local waterways. Improper disposal can harm native ecosystems. Always discard plants responsibly.
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.
Customers praised this moss for arriving "vibrant green" and healthy, with excellent shipping and generous quantities. Most shoppers reported thriving plants in aquariums. Some noted initial browning that recovered after a few weeks, and one customer experienced wilting during shipping. Overall, customers appreciated the quality and value.
- The weeping moss was so vibrant green.
- Fantastic shipping and plant quality. Would buy again.
- Very pleasantly surprised in the quantities that we received.
D
Ordered Cameroon, Pearl and Butterfly moss. All came green. Pearl moss was 2/3 the size of the others.
I'm propagating them on a plastic mesh over perlite on water in a cupcake carrier with lid from the $ store. Using the handle holes for ventilation.
Probably upgrade to CO2 with a grow light if the container and medium work out.
Definitely a 5 star purchase all around! Thanks APF!
J
I tried to ordered from APF the first two times I wanted Christmas Moss but it was out of stock. What I got from other vendors was in the same family but messy and crumbly and NOT Christmas Moss. I checked back in with APF and they had the stone pads so I ordered two. They arrived quickly and in beautiful condition like everything else I've ordered from APF. I deconstructed the moss from the pads to use on bonsai tree in a nano aquarium. The moss is all beautiful, healthy green. No large amounts of dead brown like I've received in other mosses. I'm excited to see how it fills in on my little tree!
J
My only knock is the amount of moss I was able to use on other surfaces. It’s was clean and healthy and well packaged! I would definitely buy the “ball” of weeping moss from here when in stock. I did do an alum dip for about 2 hrs and the moss did fine
A
Arrived in great condition, can't wait to watch it grow!
T
Received my weeping moss quickly, and I have to say, it is bright and vibrant. I love it!
S
I'm a repeat, repeat buyer. All the plants have been wonderful as is the customer service. Keeps me coming back.
A
Moss arrived in great condition. The pieces were several inches long. It was easy to remove from the slate and seems to be doing well.
S
The moss I received wasn't grown out like the moss in the picture, however, I was given an extra portion at no extra cost. The moss was healthy and all of it survived!
R
All the planets look good
C
Fantastic shipping and plant quality. Would buy again.
K
I got this plant in with a few others and it's the only one that has been a bit wilted. I assume it just didn't handle shipping as well, hope to see it bounce back soon.
S
I bought several varieties Of Moss. It arrived very promptly and frankly, I was very pleasantly surprised in the quantities that we received. I will definitely make another purchase, and in fact, I will be doing that as soon as I finish this review.
S
Very nice moss pad . Looks happy in my aquarium.
M
Good
A
Open the packaged and the weeping moss was so vibrant green. Can wait for it to grow so i can propogate it in other tanks.
S
I absolutely love this moss! Gorgeous and holding up well in my aquarium so far. Packed very well also.
E
Pretty sweet
K
Plants area doing great.
T
was alive and well when i got it. shipping time was good. i wouldn't exactly call it a piece of slate, more like a wrinkly piece of tile, but it works.
J
Plants were rather brown when they arrived. Looked nothing like the photos when I opened the box.
After a few weeks, they took off and are now twice as big and green. I do have strong lighting and no CO, nor do I add any plant fertilizer.
I would buy them again.
M
Arrived quicker than expected and very healthy
C
Can the moss be taken off of the slate and attached to drift wood?
Yes
F
do you ship worldwide ? like how about shipping to Pakistan ?
We only ship within USA at the moment.
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