Micranthemum Umbrosum

Micranthemum umbrosum is a plant with round, light green leaves from shallow waters in the warm regions of the Americas. Its leaves resemble Monte Carlo but are slightly larger, and instead of spreading across the substrate the plant mostly grows upward, branching densely. When trimmed regularly it forms soft, rounded clumps at the base of stones and driftwood. It is an easy plant; it grows under medium light in an aquarium without CO₂, and with CO₂ it becomes denser and faster.

• Plant the stems in small bunches of 3–5, 2 cm apart and 2–3 cm deep.
• It is used in the foreground and midground, at the base of stones, or as a transition plant between carpeting plants and the background.

• Light: Medium; under strong light it stays lower and denser.
• CO₂: Not required, but beneficial.
• Fertilizer: Regular liquid fertilizer; when nutrients are low the leaves turn pale.
• Trimming: Trim it with scissors to shape the clump; thin it out from time to time, since the inside of a clump that gets too thick receives no light and can rot.