Waterwheel plant (Aldrovanda vesiculosa) care guide

Group
Plants
Other names
Waterwheel, Aldrovanda verticillata, Drosera aldrovanda
Family
Droseraceae (sundew family)
Origin
Scattered across Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia; introduced in the eastern USA
Water
freshwater
Maximum size
40 cm
Temperature
20–30°C
pH
5.5–6.5
Hardness
Very soft, nutrient-poor
Care level
expert
Lighting
High light; no fertiliser. CO2 helps in clean, soft water
Flow
Still water; dislikes currents

Care

The waterwheel plant is a rootless, free-floating carnivorous plant in the sundew family (Droseraceae) and the only living member of its genus. Its whorls of tiny snap traps, each a few millimetres long, close in a fraction of a second on small water animals. It is found scattered across Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia in clean, shallow, warm, still water that is low in nutrients and slightly acidic, often among rushes and reeds. It is listed as Endangered by the IUCN, with only around 50 confirmed wild populations left, so buy only cultivated stock. It is a specialist's plant, not a community-tank plant. It needs bright light, soft, clean, nutrient-poor water with a pH around 6, and water at 20 °C or above to trap. Stems reach 6–40 cm and can grow several millimetres a day when happy. Fertilisers, algae and fish that eat its prey work against it; it is usually grown in tubs or tanks with rushes or sedges supplying tannins. Temperate populations form winter buds (turions) that sink to the bottom and float up again when the water warms to about 12–15 °C in spring. Plants introduced to the eastern United States may be invasive there. Never release this plant or dispose of it in drains or waterways; it is invasive in some countries. Sources: Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldrovandavesiculosa); Wikipedia, List of freshwater aquarium plant species. Checked October 2026.

Breeding

Vegetative: grown plants branch every few centimetres and the old end dies off, leaving separate plants. Overwinter turions cool. Seed is rarely set in cultivation.

Compatibility and tank mates

Not for community tanks: fish eat the small animals it feeds on, and snails and algae smother it. Grow alone in tubs or tanks with rushes or sedges.

Last updated 8 October 2026. Community-edited care guide on Aquatic-Auctions.

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