Cultivar of Alternanthera reineckii, native to South America
Overview
Alternanthera reineckii Green is a midgroundstem plant that you grow like any parrot leaf, just without chasing red. It is rated medium difficulty.
Did you know
The original green parrot leaf has nearly vanished from the hobby's records. Flowgrow's 'Grün' entry is an empty stub with no description and no sellers. The AR Green in shops today may be a re-selection rather than the old cultivar.
Caring for Alternanthera reineckii Green
Strip the lower leaves and plant the stems a couple of centimeters apart in a nutrient-rich substrate. Use it in the midground or set it in a row as a Dutch street.
Medium light keeps Alternanthera reineckii Green tidy. It grows without injected CO2, but CO2 and an iron-rich fertilizer keep the leaves dense and the pink undersides bright. It feeds through roots and leaves, so use root tabs alongside a liquid fertilizer. Keep it at 72 to 82°F (22 to 28°C).
Growth is steady rather than rampant. Top the stems and replant the tips to thicken the group, since the cuttings root readily. Lean conditions or sudden swings in water parameters cost it the lower leaves.
Good to know
Alternanthera reineckii Green belongs to Amaranthaceae, the amaranth family. The genus name refers to the alternating fertile and sterile anthers of the flowers, and the species honors the German botanist Reinecke. Most keepers grow this species for its red to purple submersed leaves. This form instead keeps lime-green upper leaf surfaces over pink to whitish undersides, on red stems.
In the wild
Alternanthera reineckii is a marsh plant from South America, found in Brazil, Paraguay and northern Argentina. It grows on riverbanks and seasonally flooded ground, emersed for much of the year and submersed at high water. Green is a cultivated color form, and only the parent species grows wild.
Common questions
Is Alternanthera reineckii Green a different species from Alternanthera reineckii?
No. Alternanthera reineckii Green is a form of Alternanthera reineckii. It reaches about 15.7 in (40 cm), against 19.7 in (50 cm) for the species.
Does Alternanthera reineckii Green need to be planted in the substrate?
Yes. Strip the leaves from the lower part of each stem, then push the stems into the substrate one at a time, a little apart.
Does Alternanthera reineckii Green need CO2?
No, but it helps. Alternanthera reineckii Green can grow without injected CO2, and added CO2 makes it grow faster.
How much light does Alternanthera reineckii Green need?
Alternanthera reineckii Green wants medium light. A light sold for planted tanks covers it.
Does Alternanthera reineckii Green need root tabs?
They help. Alternanthera reineckii Green takes nutrients through both its roots and its leaves. Root tabs near its roots and a liquid fertilizer cover both.
How do you propagate Alternanthera reineckii Green?
Alternanthera reineckii Green propagates by cuttings and side shoots. Cut off the top of a stem and replant it, and the stump left behind grows new shoots. Cut a side shoot off once it has a few leaves and plant it on its own.
How tall does Alternanthera reineckii Green grow?
Alternanthera reineckii Green grows to about 15.7 in (40 cm) tall. It grows at a moderate pace.
High lightMidground15.7 in (40 cm)
Medium lightMidground15.7 in (40 cm)
Medium lightMidground15.7 in (40 cm)
Medium lightMidground15.7 in (40 cm)
High lightMidground15.7 in (40 cm)
Medium lightMidground15.7 in (40 cm)