Anubias golden nana

Care at a glance

Overview

A compact, golden-leaved dwarf Anubias for the midground, attached to hardscape with the rhizome left exposed so it does not rot. It keeps its lime-gold color best in low to moderate light, where the warm tone contrasts nicely against green plants, while very bright light invites algae on the slow leaves. No CO2 or heavy ferts needed, though they speed up its even slower than usual growth. Propagate by dividing the rhizome, and the color carries over to the divisions.

In the wild

A color-form cultivar with no separate wild range. Its parent, Anubias barteri var. nana, is native to West Africa, where it grows attached to rocks and wood along shaded, slow-moving streams.

Good to know

A stable golden-green color variant of Anubias barteri var. nana, family Araceae. Unlike patchy variegation, the lime-gold coloration is uniform and genetically stable, so it holds through aging and propagation rather than reverting. New leaves emerge bright golden-green and darken slightly as they mature, the color coming from reduced chlorophyll rather than a sectored mutation.

Did you know

Its gold color is a true stable trait, not a light or nutrient response, so unlike a deficiency-yellowed plant it stays golden no matter how you grow it or how many times you split it.

Related plants

• Anubias pinto

  Anubias barteri var. nana 'Pinto'

  Medium lightMidground3.9 in (10 cm)
• Anubias stardust

  Anubias barteri var. nana 'Stardust'

  Medium lightMidground2.8 in (7 cm)
• Anubias Snow White

  Anubias barteri var. nana 'Snow White'

  Medium lightEpiphyte3.9 in (10 cm)

• 

  Anubias nana

  Anubias barteri var. nana

  Low lightEpiphyte4.7 in (12 cm)

• 

  Anubias lanceolata

  Anubias lanceolata

  Low lightMidground13.8 in (35 cm)

• 

  Anubias Butterfly

  Anubias 'Butterfly'

  Low lightEpiphyte5.9 in (15 cm)