{"product_id":"micranthemum-glomeratum","title":"Micranthemum glomeratum","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.4em; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0.08em; color: #1a3a2a; border-bottom: 2px solid #4a7c59; padding-bottom: 8px; margin-bottom: 18px; text-transform: uppercase;\"\u003eMicranthemum Glomeratum\u003c\/h2\u003e \u003cp style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.05em; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 16px; color: #2c2c2c;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMicranthemum glomeratum\u003c\/strong\u003e (widely sold as Pearlweed, and long mislabeled Micranthemum micranthemoides or Hemianthus micranthemoides) is a small-leaved stem plant native to Florida and the wider southeastern United States. Its compact, rounded, slightly arched leaves grow in dense whorls along thin stems, giving it a soft, bushy texture that can be trained as a low carpet or left to grow into a fuller midground stand depending on how it's trimmed. It's genuinely one of the easier and more forgiving stem plants available, and a good stepping stone for anyone who has struggled with fussier true carpeting plants like Monte Carlo.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.05em; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 16px; background-color: #e8f3e8; border: 1px solid #c8dbc8; padding: 14px 18px; color: #1a3a2a;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCare tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Pearlweed will grow in low-tech, non-CO₂ tanks, but it grows fastest and stays most compact under moderate-to-high light with CO₂ injection. Trim it regularly — left alone it grows upward quickly, and frequent pruning is what keeps it low and dense rather than tall and leggy.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.05em; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 16px; color: #2c2c2c;\"\u003ePearlweed is a fast grower and one of the most adaptable stem plants for a beginner-friendly, low-tech setup — it tolerates a wide range of substrates and water parameters and doesn't demand injected CO₂ to survive, though growth is noticeably faster and more compact with it. Left untrimmed it will grow upward as an ordinary stem plant reaching several inches tall; trimmed hard and planted densely, the same plant forms a soft, low, carpet-like cushion instead. Propagation is simple: cut healthy stem tips and replant them directly in the substrate, where they root quickly and continue the same compact growth.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.05em; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 16px; color: #2c2c2c;\"\u003eIn the aquascape, Pearlweed works well as a foreground carpet in a nature-style layout, a soft filler between hardscape, or a bushy midground-to-background stand if left to grow taller. Its fine, bright green texture pairs nicely with larger-leaved plants and driftwood, and the dense growth gives shrimp and fry plenty of cover to graze and hide in. Because it tolerates lower-tech conditions better than many true carpet plants, it's a practical choice for tanks that don't run CO₂ but still want a lush, textured foreground.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.05em; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 24px; color: #2c2c2c;\"\u003ePearlweed has a long history of mistaken identity in the hobby: plants sold for decades as Micranthemum micranthemoides were later confirmed by herbarium comparison to actually be Micranthemum glomeratum, a distinct Florida-native species with larger, more upright growth. It's also worth telling apart from Micranthemum tweediei 'Monte Carlo,' a true creeping carpet plant with rounder, denser foliage that is considerably more demanding to keep flat and compact. Pearlweed offers a similar textured, fine-leaved look with a much easier care curve.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003ch3 style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.05em; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0.1em; text-transform: uppercase; color: #1a3a2a; border-top: 1px solid #c8d8c8; padding-top: 18px; margin-bottom: 14px;\"\u003eCare \u0026amp; Specifications\u003c\/h3\u003e \u003ctable style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 0.92em;\"\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 9px 14px; background-color: #e8f3e8; color: #1a3a2a; font-weight: 600; width: 38%; border: 1px solid #c8dbc8;\"\u003eDifficulty\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 9px 14px; background-color: #e8f3e8; color: #2c2c2c; border: 1px solid #c8dbc8;\"\u003eEasy\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 9px 14px; background-color: #ffffff; color: #1a3a2a; font-weight: 600; width: 38%; border: 1px solid #c8dbc8;\"\u003ePlacement\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 9px 14px; background-color: #ffffff; color: #2c2c2c; border: 1px solid #c8dbc8;\"\u003eForeground to Midground\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 9px 14px; background-color: #e8f3e8; color: #1a3a2a; font-weight: 600; width: 38%; border: 1px solid #c8dbc8;\"\u003eMax Height\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 9px 14px; background-color: #e8f3e8; color: #2c2c2c; border: 1px solid #c8dbc8;\"\u003e2–6 inches (taller if left untrimmed)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 9px 14px; background-color: #ffffff; color: #1a3a2a; font-weight: 600; width: 38%; border: 1px solid #c8dbc8;\"\u003eLight Level\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 9px 14px; background-color: #ffffff; color: #2c2c2c; border: 1px solid #c8dbc8;\"\u003eModerate to High\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 9px 14px; background-color: #e8f3e8; color: #1a3a2a; font-weight: 600; width: 38%; border: 1px solid #c8dbc8;\"\u003eTemperature\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 9px 14px; background-color: #e8f3e8; color: #2c2c2c; border: 1px solid #c8dbc8;\"\u003e68–82°F\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 9px 14px; background-color: #ffffff; color: #1a3a2a; font-weight: 600; width: 38%; border: 1px solid #c8dbc8;\"\u003epH\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 9px 14px; background-color: #ffffff; color: #2c2c2c; border: 1px solid #c8dbc8;\"\u003e6.0–7.5\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 9px 14px; background-color: #e8f3e8; color: #1a3a2a; font-weight: 600; width: 38%; border: 1px solid #c8dbc8;\"\u003eCO2 Needs\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 9px 14px; background-color: #e8f3e8; color: #2c2c2c; border: 1px solid #c8dbc8;\"\u003eOptional (recommended for compact growth)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 9px 14px; background-color: #ffffff; color: #1a3a2a; font-weight: 600; width: 38%; border: 1px solid #c8dbc8;\"\u003eOrigin\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 9px 14px; background-color: #ffffff; color: #2c2c2c; border: 1px solid #c8dbc8;\"\u003eFlorida, USA (North America)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 9px 14px; background-color: #e8f3e8; color: #1a3a2a; font-weight: 600; width: 38%; border: 1px solid #c8dbc8; vertical-align: top;\"\u003eNotes\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 9px 14px; background-color: #e8f3e8; color: #2c2c2c; border: 1px solid #c8dbc8;\"\u003eCommonly sold as Pearlweed; long mislabeled as Micranthemum micranthemoides. More forgiving than Monte Carlo and one of the easier stem plants to keep compact with regular trimming.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e \u003c\/tbody\u003e \u003c\/table\u003e","brand":"Tropica","offers":[{"title":"Tropica T\/C Cup","offer_id":53050199474487,"sku":"Micranthemum glomeratum","price":13.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0804\/8748\/1655\/files\/3_23.png?v=1790411386","url":"https:\/\/cuboidstore.com\/products\/micranthemum-glomeratum","provider":"Cuboid Aquatics LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}