trefle.io · CC-BY-SA
Hydrocharitaceae
Halophila ovalis
Halophila ovalis
Also known as Kernera ovalis, Ovate seagrass, Caulinia ovalis, Australian seagrass
Tropical Plants · Native Plants · Seagrass · Aquatic · Marine · Saltwater · Tropical · Coastal · Underwater Plant · Ecological · Specialist · Paddle Weed
Halophila ovalis, commonly known as paddle weed or oval seagrass, is a fully aquatic marine seagrass that lives submerged in shallow coastal saltwater environments and is not suitable for typical home or garden cultivation. It plays a critical ecological role as habitat and food for marine life including dugongs and sea turtles. This species is best appreciated in its natural habitat and is generally not available through commercial nurseries.
Growing conditions
The details behind the basics
- Daily light
- 4 hours
- Watering
- Fully aquatic; requires permanent saltwater or brackish submersion · Continuously submerged in water
- Maintenance
- High
- Soil
- sand
- Soil pH
- 6–8
- Temperature
- 50°F to 95°F
- Cycle
- Perennial
- Propagation
- Fragment
Hardiness
USDA 9a-11b
Form & growth
Mature size and habit
- Mature height
- 6 in – 12 in
- Spread
- 2 ft
- Spacing
- 12 in apart
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Root depth
- Shallow
- Flowers
- No
- Foliage
- Fine
Ecology & origin
Where it belongs and what it brings
- Native to
- Andaman Is., Borneo, Cape Provinces, Caroline Is., China Southeast, Comoros, Egypt, Eritrea, Fiji, Florida, Gulf States, Hainan, India, Iran, Japan, Jawa, Kenya, Kuwait, KwaZulu-Natal, Leeward Is.
Sources: trefle
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