# Ground cover/carpeting plant



## solidsnake (Jun 3, 2014)

I'm new to the vivarium game, but I've spent a lot of time growing aquatic plants. Does anyone know of a plant that "spreads" across the ground similar to a chain sword plant? Basically, you plant one and it will keep sending off runners under the substrate continually sprouting new plants? It makes great ground cover or carpeting effects.

I hope this isn't a lame question, but I know there are tons of extremely knowledgeable folks on this forum.


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## aspidites73 (Oct 2, 2012)

If you have patience and skill, nothing will beat a Gobenia Begonia. Otherwise, Impatiens repens is an awesome ground cover!



solidsnake said:


> I'm new to the vivarium game, but I've spent a lot of time growing aquatic plants. Does anyone know of a plant that "spreads" across the ground similar to a chain sword plant? Basically, you plant one and it will keep sending off runners under the substrate continually sprouting new plants? It makes great ground cover or carpeting effects.
> 
> I hope this isn't a lame question, but I know there are tons of extremely knowledgeable folks on this forum.


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## Jeremy M (Oct 19, 2012)

Do you know about the importance of leaf litter in a viv yet? Even if you don't plan on keeping frogs in there, it's great for keeping the ecosystem healthy and sustaining a good pop of microfauna, which keep the tank clean, mold-free and help in decomp of dead organic matters. Even if you want a groundcover, just crumble it up a bit and plant over/in it.

As for groundcover, there aren't too many that spread via undersubstrate runners like swords do. most plants for the viv will act more like spreading stem or node plants, more like glosso. Some plants work fine if you trim them regularly, more like keeping a rotala bush in check, only not as much maintenance is needed. For groundcover plants, various selaginellas can work great. Some peperomias work well if you trim or train them to stay low, and Pilea glaucophylla is pretty good too. I personally don't like the entire bottom of a viv to be filled in with groundcover, I think it looks a bit unnatural to what a tropical forest floor would actually look like.


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## Dendrobait (May 29, 2005)

In truth, those same swords would probably do just fine as groundcover in a terrarium.


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## Kastina83 (Apr 9, 2013)

Most aquatic ground covering plants will grow excellent above water as long as the humidity is high enough. I've used aquatic mosses, hemianthus callitrichoides and some other plants as ground cover combined with a patch of leaf litter.


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