The mosaic plant does something almost no other aquatic plant achieves: it creates pattern on the water itself. Leaves of gold and green arrange in a precise, repeating diamond formation at the surface, evoking an inlaid floor or a medieval rose window, and small yellow cup-shaped flowers appear in summer above this geometric display. Native to Brazil, it remains under four inches in height but commands attention far beyond its scale. The genus name honors Christian G. Ludwig, an eighteenth-century Leipzig professor, while the species name marks the resemblance of those succulent leaves to sedum.

In practice, the mosaic plant demands exacting conditions: full sun or strong artificial light, warm water held near 72 degrees, and heavy fertilization for both macro and micro nutrients. It is not winter hardy outside zones 10 and 11, so northern gardeners must bring it indoors into a large aquarium with adequate light and nutrients. Propagation is straightforward: sever a rosette with a length of stem and a new one develops within weeks. The effort required to keep it thriving is real, but the reward on a still summer pond is unlike anything else.