Bucephalandra Brownie Ghost is a dark, collectible Buce for wood or stone in the midground. It is easy to keep and slow to grow.
Did you know
Bucephalandra Brownie Ghost gets its ghostly look from a thin reflective film on the leaf. The same cutting can look almost black in low light and shimmer purple under brighter, angled light.
Caring for Bucephalandra Brownie Ghost
Attach the rhizome to wood or stone with glue or thread. Keep it above the substrate so it does not rot.
Bucephalandra Brownie Ghost handles low to fairly high light, but moderate light without CO2 keeps it healthiest while still pulling out color. Pushing high light on such a slow grower invites algae on the leaves. CO2 and a steady, micronutrient-rich liquid fertilizer give better color and slightly faster, denser growth. Keep it at 68 to 82°F (20 to 28°C) with a pH of 6 to 7.5.
Expect some melt on newly converted emersed plants, then new submersed leaves from a firm rhizome. It grows slowly and rarely needs trimming. Divide the rhizome into pieces with several leaves each to make more.
Good to know
Brownie Ghost is a hobby trade name, not a described species, and it is also sold as Brownie Ghost 2011. It sits within Bucephalandra (family Araceae, tribe Schismatoglottideae) and is usually filed under the B. motleyana complex. The leaves are broad and slightly wavy, deep brown-green to near black, with a ghostly iridescent sheen and paler veins. Good specimens hold purple tones even on older leaves. The trade propagates it almost entirely by tissue culture and rhizome division rather than from seed.
In the wild
Bucephalandra Brownie Ghost is a named variety from Kalimantan on Borneo, from the same fast-flowing streams as the rest of the genus. Wild plants cling to rock and submerged wood in the current. They live emersed along the banks at low water and submersed when the streams rise. The native water is soft, slightly acidic and rich in oxygen.
Common questions
Does Bucephalandra Brownie Ghost need to be planted in the substrate?
No. Bucephalandra Brownie Ghost 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 Brownie Ghost need CO2?
No, but it helps. Bucephalandra Brownie Ghost can grow without injected CO2, and added CO2 makes it grow faster.
How much light does Bucephalandra Brownie Ghost need?
Bucephalandra Brownie Ghost wants medium light. A light sold for planted tanks covers it.
Does Bucephalandra Brownie Ghost need root tabs?
No. Bucephalandra Brownie Ghost 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 Brownie Ghost?
Bucephalandra Brownie Ghost propagates by rhizome division. Cut the rhizome into pieces with several leaves each, then tie or plant each piece.
How tall does Bucephalandra Brownie Ghost grow?
Bucephalandra Brownie Ghost grows to about 2.4 in (6 cm) tall. It grows slowly and rarely needs trimming.
Low lightEpiphyte2.4 in (6 cm)
Low lightEpiphyte2.4 in (6 cm)
Low lightEpiphyte3.9 in (10 cm)