Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia)
Creeping Jenny is prized in reptile and amphibian margins for its rapid stoloniferous spread, bright low-growing foliage and ability to quickly establish a dense, damp groundcover that provides hiding microhabitats. It holds a top spot because it is typically cheaper and faster to establish than many specialized aquatics, offering immediate cover compared with finer, slower carpets like dwarf hairgrass while being less structurally dominant than scouring rush.
Rapid groundcover
Chartreuse pop
Rapid groundcover
Chartreuse pop
Review Summary
"Users praise Creeping Jenny's bright chartreuse color and rapid emersed/emergent spreading in terrariums and paludariums, but many report submerged leaf melt, invasive tendencies, and frequent trimming is needed."
Clings like velcro
Low, rhizomatous habit that quickly forms a dense carpet.
Clings like velcro
Low, rhizomatous habit that quickly forms a dense carpet.
Increased Safety & Security
Time-Saving Convenience
Recreational Enjoyment
Creeping Jenny is prized in reptile and amphibian margins for its rapid stoloniferous spread, bright low-growing foliage and ability to quickly establish a dense, damp groundcover that provides hiding microhabitats. It holds a top spot because it is typically cheaper and faster to establish than many specialized aquatics, offering immediate cover compared with finer, slower carpets like dwarf hairgrass while being less structurally dominant than scouring rush.
Rapid groundcover
Chartreuse pop
Clings like velcro
Low, rhizomatous habit that quickly forms a dense carpet.
Thrives in consistently moist to boggy substrate ideal for paludariums.
Rapid groundcover
Chartreuse pop
Clings like velcro
Low, rhizomatous habit that quickly forms a dense carpet.
Thrives in consistently moist to boggy substrate ideal for paludariums.
Dwarf Scouring Rush (Equisetum scirpoides)
Dwarf Scouring Rush is a technical standout for enclosures that need vertical textural contrast and extreme durability—the jointed, rhizomatous stems tolerate trampling and burrowing better than delicate carpets. It is positioned as a market leader for resilience and low maintenance, trading off some rapid horizontal coverage compared with creeping pennywort or creeping jenny but offering longer-lived structure and lower leaf-litter management costs.
Tiny bamboo vibe
Vertical texture
Tiny bamboo vibe
Vertical texture
Review Summary
"Buyers like Dwarf Scouring Rush for its architectural, horsetail-like appearance and resilience in wet marginal setups, though some find it slow to establish, prone to becoming leggy in low light, and harder to source than common aquarium plants."
Prehistoric charm
Fine, rush-like stems add vertical texture along margins.
Prehistoric charm
Fine, rush-like stems add vertical texture along margins.
Increased Safety & Security
Time-Saving Convenience
Dwarf Scouring Rush is a technical standout for enclosures that need vertical textural contrast and extreme durability—the jointed, rhizomatous stems tolerate trampling and burrowing better than delicate carpets. It is positioned as a market leader for resilience and low maintenance, trading off some rapid horizontal coverage compared with creeping pennywort or creeping jenny but offering longer-lived structure and lower leaf-litter management costs.
Tiny bamboo vibe
Vertical texture
Prehistoric charm
Fine, rush-like stems add vertical texture along margins.
Rhizomatous and moderately spreading while remaining relatively compact.
Tiny bamboo vibe
Vertical texture
Prehistoric charm
Fine, rush-like stems add vertical texture along margins.
Rhizomatous and moderately spreading while remaining relatively compact.
$12-28 CAD
Moneywort (Bacopa monnieri)
Moneywort combines succulent, creeping stems with good tolerance for both marginal and shallow submerged conditions, making it versatile for amphibian and semi-aquatic reptile setups where moisture retention and flexible waterlines are needed. It is often a mid-priced, widely available option that establishes faster than hairgrass carpets and provides denser leaf cover than scouring rush, giving a balance of affordability and biological utility.
Spreading green mat
Tiny white blooms
Spreading green mat
Tiny white blooms
Review Summary
"Moneywort is generally well-liked for fast growth, easy propagation, and versatility as a midground or emersed plant; a minority of users report it can become leggy and lose leaves when fully submerged without strong light."
Herbal memory lore
Trailing stems with small round leaves that root at nodes to form mats.
Herbal memory lore
Trailing stems with small round leaves that root at nodes to form mats.
Increased Safety & Security
Self-Improvement & Personal Growth
Recreational Enjoyment
Moneywort combines succulent, creeping stems with good tolerance for both marginal and shallow submerged conditions, making it versatile for amphibian and semi-aquatic reptile setups where moisture retention and flexible waterlines are needed. It is often a mid-priced, widely available option that establishes faster than hairgrass carpets and provides denser leaf cover than scouring rush, giving a balance of affordability and biological utility.
Spreading green mat
Tiny white blooms
Herbal memory lore
Trailing stems with small round leaves that root at nodes to form mats.
Adaptable to submerged or marginal conditions used in paludariums and terrariums.
Spreading green mat
Tiny white blooms
Herbal memory lore
Trailing stems with small round leaves that root at nodes to form mats.
Adaptable to submerged or marginal conditions used in paludariums and terrariums.
$10-22 CAD
Water Pennywort (Hydrocotyle verticillata)
Water Pennywort forms low, stoloniferous mats of round leaves that create broad, amphibian-friendly platforms and moisture-retentive cover, making it especially useful where flat leaf surface area is desired for basking or shelter. It is frequently one of the most cost-effective spreading marginals, outpacing specialized carpets on price and ease of control inside enclosures, though it can be more invasive if used outdoors without containment.
Mini lily pads
Low, sprawling habit
Mini lily pads
Low, sprawling habit
Review Summary
"Water Pennywort is appreciated for its round leaves and quick rhizomatous groundcover habit, but many users note it can float, stretch toward light, or experience melting when transitioned underwater."
Pads for tiny feet
Round, peltate leaves on long petioles that create floating or carpeting cover.
Pads for tiny feet
Round, peltate leaves on long petioles that create floating or carpeting cover.
Increased Safety & Security
Recreational Enjoyment
Water Pennywort forms low, stoloniferous mats of round leaves that create broad, amphibian-friendly platforms and moisture-retentive cover, making it especially useful where flat leaf surface area is desired for basking or shelter. It is frequently one of the most cost-effective spreading marginals, outpacing specialized carpets on price and ease of control inside enclosures, though it can be more invasive if used outdoors without containment.
Mini lily pads
Low, sprawling habit
Pads for tiny feet
Round, peltate leaves on long petioles that create floating or carpeting cover.
Spreads via stolons/rhizomes to quickly cover moist margins and shallow water.
Mini lily pads
Low, sprawling habit
Pads for tiny feet
Round, peltate leaves on long petioles that create floating or carpeting cover.
Spreads via stolons/rhizomes to quickly cover moist margins and shallow water.
$9-20 CAD
Dwarf Hairgrass (Eleocharis parvula)
Dwarf Hairgrass is the go-to for a fine, grassy carpet formed by short rhizomes that produce a naturalistic turf ideal for low-profile terrarium aesthetics and small, ground-hugging species. It commands a premium in terms of setup (lighting, substrate and sometimes CO2) and establishment time compared with stoloniferous marginals, but its superior dense turf and trampling resistance once established make it the top technical choice for hobbyists prioritizing long-term appearance and microhabitat stability.
Fine grassy carpet
Dense rooting web
Fine grassy carpet
Dense rooting web
Review Summary
"Dwarf Hairgrass is praised for forming a lush grassy carpet under high light and CO2, yet many buyers warn it is slow to carpet, requires good substrate and care, and can be frustrating for beginners."
Runway for hatchlings
Forms a fine, grassy carpet from short rhizomes and tufts suited for shallow margins.
Runway for hatchlings
Forms a fine, grassy carpet from short rhizomes and tufts suited for shallow margins.
Increased Safety & Security
Skill Development & Mastery
Recreational Enjoyment
Dwarf Hairgrass is the go-to for a fine, grassy carpet formed by short rhizomes that produce a naturalistic turf ideal for low-profile terrarium aesthetics and small, ground-hugging species. It commands a premium in terms of setup (lighting, substrate and sometimes CO2) and establishment time compared with stoloniferous marginals, but its superior dense turf and trampling resistance once established make it the top technical choice for hobbyists prioritizing long-term appearance and microhabitat stability.
Fine grassy carpet
Dense rooting web
Runway for hatchlings
Forms a fine, grassy carpet from short rhizomes and tufts suited for shallow margins.
Tolerates regular submersion and humid terrarium conditions important for amphibians.
Fine grassy carpet
Dense rooting web
Runway for hatchlings
Forms a fine, grassy carpet from short rhizomes and tufts suited for shallow margins.
Tolerates regular submersion and humid terrarium conditions important for amphibians.
$12-35 CAD