Borneo (trade clone, species and collection site unknown)
Overview
Arrogant Blue grows 2.5 to 6 cm tall and fits the foreground, nano tanks and small gaps in rockwork. Low to medium light, about 15 to 40 PAR, is enough to grow it. Good LED lighting brings out the metallic sheen, and CO2 with regular liquid fertilizer speeds growth and deepens the blue. Secure the rhizome to rock with a dab of glue or a loop of thread, and never bury it. Keep water and lighting steady, because sudden swings often make new plants shed leaves.
In the wild
Arrogant Blue is a trade clone, and no seller names its species or the stream it came from. All Bucephalandra come from Borneo, where they root on rocks in and beside shaded rainforest rivers. They sit underwater when the rivers run high and grow in open air through dry spells.
Good to know
Arrogant Blue belongs to the arum family, Araceae. It carries 'sp.' in its name because it has not been matched to a described Bucephalandra species. Its small oval leaves have slightly ruffled edges and a pronounced midrib. Leaf color runs from olive green to a deep purplish blue, with a metallic sheen and fine speckles. Brownie Blue, the closest look-alike, has broader, rounder and more strongly waved leaves.
Did you know
Leaves a Buce grows underwater are called 'water leaves' by collectors. Arrogant Blue turns purple-blue on those leaves. A pot grown fully submerged shows the color sooner than one grown emersed.
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