Micranthemum micranthimoids “Pearl weed” [Tc]

Hemianthus glomeratus has been in the hobby a long time and is known by many names. Shops often call it ‘Baby tears’ or ‘Pearl weed’. Botanically, it was named Hemianthus micranthemoides  “HM” and Micranthemum micranthemoides “MM” before but it was discovered in recent years to be neither of those plants. Its true name is Hemianthus glomeratus. However, other than a handful of botanists and enthusiasts, it seems rare to find anyone using the actual correct name. Commercial brands still continue to use “Hemianthus micranthemoides” on their labels most of the time.

Hemianthus glomeratus is a green stem plant with thin green leaves and thin green stems. The leaves of H. glomeratus are opposite (with 2 leaves per stem node) but it often also grows in whorls of 3 to 4 leaves. Its small size coupled with its ease of growing makes it a top choice for aquascapers as it can be flexibly placed any where in an aquascape. It can be a dense background bush or a small foreground plant depending on how short you trim it.