Freshwater aquarium plant species

Aquatic plants are used to give the aquarium a realistic appearance, oxygenate the water, and provide habitat for fish, especially fry (babies) and for invertebrate species. Some aquarium fish and invertebrates also eat live plants. Many commonly-used plant species come from the rivers of South America.

• Anubias
• Cabomba (fanwort)
• Ceratophyllum (hornwort)
• Cryptocoryne
• Echinodorus (sword plant)
• Elodea
• Lemna (duckweed; floating plants)
• Microsorum
• Pistia (water lettuce; floating plant)
• Vallisneria
• Vesicularia dubyana ("Java moss")

Several species of land plants such as umbrella pine and aluminum plant (Pilea cadairei) are also frequently sold as "aquarium plants". While such plants can survive for a few weeks immersed, they will eventually die and must be removed so their decay does not contaminate the aquarium water.