Borneo (farmed variant of Wavy Green, collection site unknown)
Overview
Bucephalandra Broad Wavy is a medium-sized Buce whose broad, ruffled leaves give height and texture to the midground. It is an easy plant for rock or wood.
Did you know
Broad Wavy is a nursery plant, sold as farm-grown pots by Buce Plant and Glass Aqua. AquaLab's tissue-culture version is raised in a sealed cup with no pests or algae.
Caring for Bucephalandra Broad Wavy
Leave the rhizome uncovered on rock or wood. Glue only a small spot of the roots, since heavy gluing can stunt the plant or kill it.
Keep the light low and the flow strong across the leaves. Broad Wavy grows without injected CO2, and adding CO2 speeds its growth and improves its color. It takes nutrients through its roots and from the water, so feed it with a liquid fertilizer. Keep it at 72 to 82°F (22 to 28°C).
It grows slowly and rarely needs trimming. Divide the rhizome into pieces with several leaves each to make new plants.
Good to know
Broad Wavy comes from Bucephalandra, an Araceae genus found only on Borneo. Its long, wide leaves are bright green, with strongly ruffled margins on reddish stalks. Buce Plant and Glass Aqua say they run larger than Wavy Green's. Sellers list Wavy Green at 5 to 10 cm tall, with leaves about 5 cm long and 2 cm wide. Aquasabi, GreenAqua and Aquarium Plants Factory sell Wavy Green as Bucephalandra pygmaea, but no seller says the same of Broad Wavy.
In the wild
Broad Wavy is a farmed variant of Wavy Green, which most shops call Green Wavy, and its own collection site is not published. Aquasabi sells Wavy Green as a form from Bukit Kelam in West Kalimantan, where it grows in dense mats on stream boulders. That form grows submersed at high water and emersed when the stream drops.
Common questions
Does Bucephalandra Broad Wavy need to be planted in the substrate?
No. Bucephalandra Broad Wavy grows attached to rock or wood, so tie or glue the rhizome in place. If you plant its roots, keep the rhizome above the substrate, since a buried rhizome rots.
Does Bucephalandra Broad Wavy need CO2?
No, but it helps. Bucephalandra Broad Wavy can grow without injected CO2, and added CO2 makes it grow faster.
How much light does Bucephalandra Broad Wavy need?
Bucephalandra Broad Wavy is a low-light plant, and the light that comes with a standard tank kit is enough for it.
Does Bucephalandra Broad Wavy need root tabs?
No. Bucephalandra Broad Wavy feeds from the water, so a liquid fertilizer suits it better. Root tabs only help if its roots reach into the substrate.
How do you propagate Bucephalandra Broad Wavy?
Bucephalandra Broad Wavy propagates by rhizome division. Cut the rhizome into pieces with several leaves each, then tie or plant each piece.
How tall does Bucephalandra Broad Wavy grow?
Bucephalandra Broad Wavy grows to about 3.9 in (10 cm) tall. It grows slowly and rarely needs trimming.
Low lightEpiphyte3.9 in (10 cm)
Low lightEpiphyte2.4 in (6 cm)
Low lightEpiphyte2.4 in (6 cm)