by Robert Paul Hudson
Ludwigia sedioides is a branching floating stem plant whose leaves grow in a circular pattern with shades of red and green looking like a mosaic tile. It is found growing in slow moving and standing waters of Brazil and Venezuela. It is typically used as a ornamental plant in ponds and the long floating stems can cover a large surface area. One stem in the aquarium can quickly cover the surface of the water and the roots grow quite long, but some hobbyists have found a use for it in open top aquariums. It will not survive cold winters outside.
Light should be fairly bright to encourage red coloring and fertilizer should be added to the water regularly. It produces two inch solid yellow flowers that are striking against the foliage and bloom in late summer and early fall. In ponds it should be placed under full sun or partial shade.
