Cryptocoryne Pontederiifolia

Overview: Hailing from Sumatra, Indonesia, this plant gained popularity when naturalized in Singapore. It can be found in damp soils along forest streams and looks very exotic. Today it is one of the most admired aquatic plants which are cultivated by aquarists to a great extent. The growth of Cryptocoryne Pontederiifolia is generally robust, and it becomes adaptable to aquarium culture without any hassle. This is another reason why hobbyists prefer it foremost.

Appearance: The plant has sulfur yellow inflorescence which is generally used by hobbyists to differentiate it from other species of the same variety. The collar is wide and quite high which gives it a unique appearance. The underside of the leaves of the plant is brownish to light purple in color. Leaves are wide, and most of them have a nubby pattern. It makes the plant perfect for middle or background plantation. The bright color of C. pontederiifolia gives a contrasting look to the aquarium when grown in between mosses and grass-like plants. If you have a medium size tank, this plant is enough to use as an eye-catching solitary plant.

Hard/soft plant: Hard plant

Ideal water temperature: It can grow well under the temperature raging between 20-30 C

Lighting conditions: Medium lighting conditions are perfect for the plant to flourish well inside the water. When intense lighting is provided to the plant, it tends to become bushier and more compact. On the contrary, moderate to dim lighting result in the plant to grow taller and leggier.

Ideal pH Level: The plant requires pH ranging between 6-8. However, if the water condition varies from soft to hard and from weakly to acidic, the plant could easily survive.

Do you know: In order to propagate C. pontederiifolia the daughter plants are split from the mother plant from runners.  This species doesn’t suffer from melting which is the most common phenomena of aquatic plants.