Anubias pinto

Care at a glance

Overview

A slow, compact variegated nana for the midground, attached to wood or rock rather than planted, keeping the rhizome exposed to avoid rot. Moderate to brighter light helps new leaves come in with strong white marbling, but go too high and algae will quickly settle on the slow leaves. CO2 and gentle ferts are not required but help it push leaves a bit faster and stay healthy. Trim away any all-white or melting leaves, and divide the rhizome to propagate true-to-type clones.

In the wild

A variegated cultivar with no wild population of its own. The parent, Anubias barteri var. nana, grows on shaded streambanks and rocks in West Africa, clinging to hardscape with its rhizome in slow, soft, shaded water.

Good to know

A selected variegated form of the dwarf Anubias barteri var. nana, in the family Araceae. Its leaves carry irregular white, pale green and dark green sectors caused by patches of cells lacking chlorophyll. Because the white tissue cannot photosynthesize, the plant relies on its green areas for energy, which is part of why variegated Anubias grow even slower than standard nana.

Did you know

Every leaf is patterned differently, and because the white areas have no chlorophyll, a plant that turns fully white will eventually starve, so a balance of green and white is what keeps it alive.

Related plants

• Anubias golden nana

  Anubias barteri var. nana 'Golden'

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• Anubias stardust

  Anubias barteri var. nana 'Stardust'

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

  Anubias barteri var. nana 'Snow White'

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• 

  Anubias nana

  Anubias barteri var. nana

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• 

  Anubias lanceolata

  Anubias lanceolata

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  Anubias Butterfly

  Anubias 'Butterfly'

  Low lightEpiphyte5.9 in (15 cm)