# I have no idea what emersed plant I want for this:



## random_alias (Nov 7, 2005)

My local Walmart decided it was time to rearrange everything so last night I was walking around, lost, wandering through areas that I'd never seen before, when I came across some cheap glass and decided to try something. I grabbed the big bowl for $3, the little glass pot for .50, the class cylinder for $2, the desk lamp for about $10 and the 18w CF 6,500k bulbs were 2 for around $7.

The bowl will be packed full of pearlweed in aquasoil. I usually see this scene from a much higher perspective so I thought the little bright green stars would look awesome from above.

My problem is that I have no experience growing emersed plants and I want to put something in the cylinder. It sits in a clear plastic dish (cherry container I think) that contains water. This way, there is a constant source of evaporation and the cylinder catches it.

Would this work for emmersed growth and if so what's a good plant that grows tall rather than bushy? I want some bright color if I can get it to contrast the bright green bowl once it's grown in.

I'm clueless.


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

The tall narrow container will be a challenge. One thing you quickly discover when doing an emersed setup is that it's pretty easy to run out of room.

An Isoetes species might be a good bet for that container. About how wide is it again?

There's no reason you couldn't use Aquasoil in there too. For that and the bowl, I'd try changing maybe half the water once a week and use the same ferts you do for your submersed plants at about the same levels.

A plant that still has good color emersed is _Polygonum sp. 'Kawagoneum'_. It supports itself fairly well and can handle lower humidity fairly well. Many plants can live quite well outside in the summer and in a good emersed setup but not in the dry air of the average house. I'd try a daily misting to compensate.

Other plants to try for the bowl could be:

_Hygrophila corymbosa
H. polysperma "Ceylon'
Hemigraphis traian
Alternathera reineckii_

It's not really aquatic but _Alternanthera sessilis_ might look pretty good there.

Does this answer any of your questions?


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

Another plant that gets more color when in a drier atmosphere is Lobelia cardinalis. An earlier thread in this froum by Mikeberg titled Lobelia cardinalis turned out to be about Veronica americana, and so the pictures there are not Lobelia, which will probably grow a lot more upright.


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

Well, in my experience anyway, it will grow to about 5-6 inches tall before starting to creep and branch. Not like the stuff that turned out to be _Veronica americana_ but creeping nonetheless.


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## random_alias (Nov 7, 2005)

Thanks both for your help. This cylinder is pretty narrow, about 3.25 inches in diameter (roughly 8 cm). Would pennywort grow upwards on it's own in this cylinder?


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

On its own? No. The only way it would grow upwards would be if it got crowded in there. 

There are plenty of things that will remain small, but not many that will stay narrow and tall.


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

Just about any stem plant is going to become packed-looking in the cylinder. Perhaps one of the small Echinodorus species would look nice there, such as E. bolivianus or E. tenellus.


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## John N. (Dec 11, 2005)

Hi RA. 

I'm curious to what this "experiment" of yours looks like to date. Did you decide on your plants, and how about livestock: fish or shrimp?

-John N.


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## Rand (Jan 23, 2005)

I'm curious, too, on your current status of your "experiment", RA. On the plants that may look nice on that cylinder glass: hair grass.


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