If you are looking for the best live tall-growing aquarium plants then you are at the right place.
In this blog post, I am going to show you tall-growing aquarium plants.
Most of these plants are easy to care for and can tolerate a wide range of water parameters.
So, you can keep them in your aquarium even if you are a beginner.
With that being said let’s start the list.

Best Live Tall-Growing Aquarium Plants
1. Amazon Sword

PARAMETERS | VALUES |
---|---|
PLANT | Amazon sword |
SCIENTIFIC NAME | Echinodorus grisebachii |
FAMILY | Alismataceae |
CARE LEVEL | Easy |
LIGHT REQUIREMENT | Moderate |
GROWTH RATE | Fast |
TEMPERATURE | 60.8-82.4°F |
pH | 6.5-7.5 pH |
HARDNESS | 8-15°dH |
PLACEMENT | Background |
MAXIMUM SIZE | 16 Inches |
MINIMUM TANK SIZE | 10 Gallons |
Amazon sword is one of the most popular aquarium plants in the hobby.
It is a fast growing tall plant that can grow as tall as 16 inches.
This plant can tolerate a wide range of water parameters and it is very easy to care for, so it is a good choice for beginners.
It can tolerate temperature as low as 60 degrees Fahrenheit so you can easily use it in a cold water aquarium.
Provided with the ideal environment, it can also produce flowers in your aquarium.
Check out Best Flowering Aquarium Plants (Underwater and Overwater)
Light requirements
Amazon sword is not very light-demanding.
This plant does well in low to moderate lighting conditions.
You should provide it at least 2 watts of light per gallon.
Also, you should provide it light for at least 11 to 12 hours every day.
Substrate requirements
You can use any substrate for planting Amazon sword in your aquarium.
Just make sure that the substrate is at least 2.5 inches thick so that its roots can form a strong base in it.
Fertilization requirements
Amazon Sword is a very hardy plant and it doesn’t really require fertilizers.
But as with all the aquarium plants, if you supplement it with regular doses of fertilizers, it will definitely benefit from it.
You should supplement it with root tabs.
Ideal water parameters
As mentioned earlier, Amazon sword can tolerate a wide range of water parameters.
That being said, the ideal temperature for the proper growth of Amazon sword is between 60-82 degrees Fahrenheit.
Its pH tolerance range is between 6.5 to 7.5 and hardness tolerance range is between 8 to 15°DH.
How to keep it in an aquarium?
Amazon sword is a tall plant that can grow as tall as 16 inches.
This plant grow very large with its large leaves that grow in all directions.
So, you should keep it in the center of your aquarium so that it will have sufficient area to spread.
You can also keep it in the background of your aquarium if you are going for a jungle effect.
Also, while planting Amazon sword in your aquarium, make sure that it is not blocking light for other small plants.
Check the latest price of this plant at Amazon here
Check out 12 Benefits of Live Plants in an Aquarium (Pros and Cons)
2. Corkscrew Vallisneria

PARAMETERS | VALUES |
---|---|
PLANT | Corkscrew Vallisneria |
COMMON NAMES | Corkscrew Val |
SCIENTIFIC NAME | Vallisneria torta |
FAMILY | Tapegrass |
CARE LEVEL | Easy |
LIGHT REQUIREMENT | Moderate to High |
GROWTH RATE | Fast |
TEMPERATURE | 68-82.5 °F |
pH | 5-8 |
HARDNESS | Hard water |
PLACEMENT | Background |
MAXIMUM SIZE | 20 inches |
MINIMUM TANK SIZE | 5 gallon |
Corkscrew Vallisneria is a seagrass like tall plant.
This plant is very easy to care and it is very undemanding which makes it an ideal option for beginners.
It is a very good background plant for small to medium aquariums.
Provided with ideal conditions, this plant can grow very fast up to 20 inches tall.
Light requirements
Corkscrew Vallisneria requires decent lighting conditions for its proper growth.
This planet does well in moderate to high lighting conditions.
So, you should provide it at 3 to 4 watts per gallon light.
If you provide it with more light then it will grow faster.
Substrate requirements
You can use any substrate for planting Corkscrew Vallisneria in your aquarium.
You can plant it in a sand or gravel substrate.
If you plant it in a nutrient rich-substrate then it will benefit from it and grow faster.
Check out 8 Best Aquarium Plants for Sand Substrate
Fertilization requirements
For the proper growth of Corkscrew Vallisneria, you should supplement it with regular doses of fertilizers.
You can use liquid fertilizers or root tabs.
Ideal water parameters
The ideal temperature for the proper growth of Corkscrew Vallisneria is between 60-82 degrees Fahrenheit.
So you can keep it in a cold water aquarium.
Its pH tolerance range is between 5 to 8 and you should keep it in hard water that is rich in calcium.
How to keep it in an aquarium?
If you have a small to medium size aquarium then you should keep Corkscrew Vallisneria in the background of the tank.
If you have a larger tank then you can keep it in the middle ground of the tank.
Check the latest price of this plant at Amazon here
Check out 6 Tips to Take Care of Live Plants in Aquarium (For Beginners)
3. Jungle Vallisneria
PARAMETERS | VALUES |
---|---|
PLANT | Jungle Vallisneria |
COMMON NAMES | Jungle Val, water celery, tape grass or eelgrass |
SCIENTIFIC NAME | Vallisneria Americana |
FAMILY | Hydrocharitaceae |
CARE LEVEL | Intermediate |
LIGHT REQUIREMENT | Medium |
GROWTH RATE | Fast |
TEMPERATURE | 65° – 85° F |
pH | 6.8 – 8.0 |
HARDNESS | Moderately Hard to Very Hard |
PLACEMENT | Background |
MAXIMUM SIZE | 6 feet (2 meters) |
MINIMUM TANK SIZE | 10 gallon |
Jungle Vallisneria is one of the common aquarium plants in the hobby.
It is actually one of the earliest plants in the aquarium hobby and it is still a very popular plant.
This is a fast growing plant that can grow as tall as 6 feet.
It is also a very hardy plant so it is a good choice for beginners.
This plant can tolerate a wide range of water parameters and it is also a very good plant for a cold water aquarium.
Check out 8 Best Coldwater Aquarium Plants
Light requirements
Just like Corkscrew Vallisneria, Jungle Vallisneria does well in moderate to high lighting conditions.
So you should provide it at least 3-4 watts of light per gallon.
If you provide it with more light, it will grow faster.
Substrate requirements
You can use any substrate whether that is sand or gravel for planting Jungle Vallisneria in your aquarium.
If you plant it in a nutrient-rich substrate then it will grow faster.
Fertilization requirements
For the better nourishment of Jungle Vallisneria, you should regularly supplement it with iron-rich fertilizers.
You should use liquid fertilizers and add them after the weekly water changes.
Ideal water parameters
The ideal temperature for the proper growth of Jungle Vallisneria is between 65 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
Its pH tolerance range is between 6.8-8 and you should keep it in moderately hard to very hard water.
How to keep it in an aquarium?
Depending on the size of your aquarium, you should keep it in the middle ground or background of your aquarium.
If you have small to medium size aquarium then you should keep it in the background.
If you have a large aquarium them you can keep it in the middle ground of your aquarium.
Check the latest price of this plant at Amazon here
4. Ludwigia repens

PARAMETERS | VALUES |
---|---|
PLANT | Ludwigia Repens |
COMMON NAMES | Ludwigia repens, Ludwigia repens Rubin, Red repens, Ludwigia sp. Weinrot, Red-Leaf Ludwigia, Creeping Primrose-Willow |
SCIENTIFIC NAME | Ludwigia repens |
FAMILY | Onagraceae |
CARE LEVEL | Easy |
LIGHT REQUIREMENT | Low to very high |
GROWTH RATE | Moderate to Fast |
TEMPERATURE | 60- 86oF |
pH | 5 - 8 |
HARDNESS | Very soft to hard level |
PLACEMENT | Background |
MAXIMUM SIZE | 7-19 inches |
MINIMUM TANK SIZE | 10 gallon |
Ludwigia repens is a very popular coloring plant in the aquarium hobby.
This is a fast growing plant that can grow as tall as 19 inches.
It is also very easy to care for and can tolerate a wide range of water parameters so it is a very good choice for beginners.
It can tolerate temperature as low as 60 degrees Fahrenheit so you can easily keep it in a cold water aquarium.
This is also a very good plant for small fishes like Tetras as it provides a lot of hiding places to them.
Check out 7 Best Aquarium Plants For Tetras
Light requirements
Ludwigia repens can do well in almost any lighting condition.
You can keep it in low lighting and it can tolerate very high lighting conditions as well.
Ideally, for the proper growth of Ludwigia repens, you should keep it in moderate lighting conditions.
You should provide it at least 2 to 4 watts per gallon light.
Substrate requirements
You can use any substrate for planting Ludwigia repens in your aquarium.
Can use sand or gravel as a substrate or you can use a nutrient-rich substrate and it will benefit from it.
Fertilization requirements
Ludwigia repens is very undemanding and it can survive without any fertilizers.
But for the faster growth and its red coloration, you should supplement it with some fertilizers that are rich in CO2.
You can also supplement it with additional CO2 gas to get its red coloration.
Ideal water parameters
As mentioned earlier, Ludwigia repens can tolerate a wide range of water parameters.
That being said, the ideal temperature for the proper growth of Ludwigia repens is between 60-86 degree Fahrenheit.
Its tolerance range is between 5 to 8.
You can keep it in any water whether that is soft to very hard and it will do just fine.
How to keep it in an aquarium?
Ludwigia repens is a tall stem plant that can grow as tall as 19 inches.
So it is a very good background plant for your aquarium.
You can just let it float in your aquarium.
Check the latest price of this plant at Amazon here
Check out 13 Best Aquarium Plants That Can Grow Without Substrate
5. Bacopa Caroliniana

Photo by David J. Stang under CC BY-SA 4.0
PARAMETERS | VALUES |
---|---|
PLANT | Bacopa |
SCIENTIFIC NAME | Bacopa Caroliniana |
FAMILY | Scrophulariaceae |
CARE LEVEL | Easy |
LIGHT REQUIREMENT | Low |
GROWTH RATE | Slow |
TEMPERATURE | 69.8 - 80.6°F |
pH | 6.8 - 7.2 |
HARDNESS | 71.43 - 142.86 PPM |
PLACEMENT | Background |
MAXIMUM SIZE | 11+ inches |
MINIMUM TANK SIZE | 10 gallons |
Bacopa caroliniana is one of the most popular aquarium plants in aquascaping because of its coloration.
This plant produce leaves that range from green to yellow to pinkish color.
This is a fast growing plant that can grow more than 11 inches.
It is very undemanding so it is a good choice for beginners.
As it is one of the popular plants, it is widely available in almost all the aquarium shops.
It is also one of the best oxygenating plants for aquarium.
Check out 9 Best Oxygenating Plants for Aquarium (and Pond)
Light requirements
Bacopa caroliniana is very undemanding when it comes to light and it can survive in almost any lighting conditions.
You should provide it at least 2 watts of light per gallon for its proper growth.
But as I said earlier, it can still survive without any light just make sure that it is not in shade.
To get its red coloration, you have to keep it under strong lighting.
Substrate requirements
You can use any substrate for planting Bacopa caroliniana in your aquarium.
But fine gravel substrate is recommended.
Fertilization requirements
Bacopa caroliniana is a very hardy plant and can do well without any fertilizers.
But if you are going after its red coloration then you have to supplement it with some additional fertilizers and also additional CO2.
Ideal water parameters
The ideal temperature for the proper growth of Bacopa caroliniana is between 69 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Its pH tolerance ranges between 6.8 to 7.2 and water hardness tolerance ranges between 4 to 8 °N.
How to keep it in an aquarium?
As Bacopa caroliniana is a tall stem plant that can grow more than 11 inches tall, you should keep it in the background of your aquarium.
If you have a large tank then you can keep it in the middle ground or near the walls of your aquarium.
Check the latest price of this plant at Amazon here
Check out 17 Best Background Plants for Aquarium (For Large and Nano Tanks)
6. Asian Ambulia

Photo by Andreus Felipen under CC BY-SA 3.0
PARAMETERS | VALUES |
---|---|
PLANT | Asian ambulia |
COMMON NAMES | Dwarf ambulia, Ambulis, Asian marshweed |
SCIENTIFIC NAME | Limnophila sessiliflora |
FAMILY | Plantaginaceae |
CARE LEVEL | Moderate |
LIGHT REQUIREMENT | Low |
GROWTH RATE | Fast |
TEMPERATURE | 59-82° F |
pH | 5 - 8 |
HARDNESS | 2 - 21°dKH |
PLACEMENT | Mid-Background |
MAXIMUM SIZE | 15 inches |
MINIMUM TANK SIZE | 10 gallon |
Asian ambulia is a very beautiful fast growing plant that can grow as tall as 15 inches.
This plant is a very good alternative to the Cabomba which is very demanding.
This plant is very easy to care and it can tolerate a wide range of water parameters which makes it ideal for beginners.
It can tolerate temperature as low as 59 degrees Fahrenheit so you can easily keep it in a cold water aquarium.
Light requirements
Asian ambulia is very undemanding when it comes to light and it does well in low lighting conditions.
Ideally, you should provide it at least 0.5 watts per liter light.
Substrate requirements
You can use any substrate for planting Asian ambulia in your aquarium.
Fertilization requirements
Asian ambulia is a very hardy plant and can do well without any fertilizers.
But as with all the aquarium plants, if you supplement it with fertilizers it will benefit from it and grow faster.
Check out 7 Best Aquarium Plants That Don’t Need Fertilizers
Ideal water parameters
As mentioned earlier, Asian ambulia can tolerate a wide range of water parameters.
That being said, the ideal temperature for the proper growth of Asian ambulia is between 59 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit.
Its pH tolerance ranges between 5 to 8 and its water hardness tolerance ranges between 2-21 dkh.
How to keep it in an aquarium?
If you have a small to medium size aquarium then you should keep it in the background of the aquarium.
If you have a larger aquarium then you can keep it in the midground of the aquarium.
Check out 20 Tips to Maintain a Healthy Aquarium
Other Live Tall-growing Aquarium plants
7. Lace plant
9. Rotala Rotundifolia also known as Rotala Indica
11. Java Fern
12. Anacharis
13. Water Sprite
15. Foxtail ‘Green’
16. Ludwigia repens
20. Hornwort
22. Moneywort
Conclusion
So these are the best live tall-growing aquarium plants.
I hope you found this list helpful.
If you do, please share it.
Also, let me know which plant you are going to try in your aquarium in the comments section below.
Happy fishkeeping!