Marsilea quadrifolia is a herbaceous plant found naturally in central and southern Europe, Caucasia, western Siberia, Afghanistan, south-west India, China, Japan, and Vietnam, though it is considered a weed in some parts of the United States, where it has been well established in the northeast for over 100 years.

Aquatic fern bearing 4 parted leaf resembling 'Four-leaf clover' (Trifolium).

[citation needed] The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils.

In the aquarium, water clover is grown fully submerged, usually in the foreground where it spreads by means of runners.

It normally seems to be unfussy as to light and water conditions, and doesn't need a rich substrate.