Bacopa repens
Creeping water hyssop
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Family: Plantaginaceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Bacopa repens (Creeping water hyssop) is a non-native California herb in the Plantaginaceae family, recognized by . Key features: 4-lobed corolla, 3 anthers, short pedicels.
Creeping water hyssop is a naturalized perennial found in the Sacramento Valley at Biggs Rice Experiment Station in wet soil or shallow water at elevations below 100 meters. Flowering from July to August, this plant produces white to pink flowers 3.5 to 5.9 millimeters long with delicate, slightly asymmetric petals. Growing with prostrate to ascending stems that spread horizontally, it forms low-growing patches in moist environments. Its leaves are 10 to 23 millimeters long, broadly obovate with more than six prominent veins arranged in a palmate pattern. As an agricultural weed, the plant has small, narrowly ovate sepals that are often fringed with fine hairs.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 2 sympatric species. Key features: 4-lobed corolla, 3 anthers, short pedicels
Habitat and range
Habitat: Wet soil or in shallow water
Elevation: < 100 m
Outside California: southeastern United States to South America, native to Caribbean, Central America
Bloom period
Bacopa repens blooms Jul-Aug.
How to tell it apart
vs Myoporum: Bacopa is tiny creeping aquatic; Myoporum is woody shrub with spotted flowers.; vs Chaenostoma: Bacopa has rounded succulent leaves; Chaenostoma has narrow linear leaves.; vs Callitriche: Bacopa has visible petaled flowers; Callitriche has no petals, just tiny green flowers.; vs Cabomba: Bacopa has simple oval leaves; Cabomba has finely divided fan-like submerged leaves.; vs Portulaca: Bacopa grows in wet mud; Portulaca grows in dry ground with thick cylindrical leaves.
Frequently asked questions
Is Bacopa repens native to California?
No. Bacopa repens is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Bacopa repens bloom?
Bacopa repens blooms Jul-Aug.
What plant family does Bacopa repens belong to?
Bacopa repens is in the Plantaginaceae family, genus Bacopa.
What habitat does Bacopa repens grow in?
Bacopa repens grows in Wet soil or in shallow water.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.