Bucephalandra Maestro Blue reaches 5 to 10 cm, and its longer leaves fill gaps along midground wood and stone. It is an easy, slow-growing plant.
Did you know
Maestro Blue can look plain dark green under warm white light. The blue and violet appear under RGB or full-spectrum LEDs, so a green-looking new plant may only need different lighting.
Caring for Bucephalandra Maestro Blue
Wedge the rhizome into a crack in wood or rock, or glue it in place, and keep it out of the substrate. A buried rhizome rots. Set the plant where light strikes the leaves at an angle, which shows the sheen best.
Low to medium light is plenty, since brighter light mostly feeds algae on such a slow plant. CO2 is optional, though it deepens the color if your tank already runs it. Bucephalandra Maestro Blue feeds from the water column as well as its roots, so a liquid fertilizer suits it better than root tabs. Keep the water at 72 to 82°F (22 to 28°C).
New leaves open lighter and darken as they age. Growth is slow, and the plant rarely needs trimming. Divide the rhizome into pieces with several leaves each for new plants.
Good to know
Maestro Blue is a Bucephalandra, an aroid genus in the family Araceae. Its slender leaves are oval to lance-shaped with wavy edges. Underwater they take on a metallic sheen that shifts from blue-green to violet with the light. Emersed pot plants look much like Green Wavy, but their leaves are longer and narrower. BucephalandraEU lists Maestro Blue as its own variety.
In the wild
Maestro Blue's wild source is unknown, and the shops name neither a species nor a collection site. Wet Spot labels it Bucephalandra cf. pygmaea, the tag it also gives Green Wavy. Wild Bucephalandra live only on Borneo, where they cling to rock in fast forest streams. APF farms it and also sells a lab-grown vitro culture version.
Common questions
Does Bucephalandra Maestro Blue need to be planted in the substrate?
No. Bucephalandra Maestro Blue 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 Maestro Blue need CO2?
No, but it helps. Bucephalandra Maestro Blue can grow without injected CO2, and added CO2 makes it grow faster.
How much light does Bucephalandra Maestro Blue need?
Bucephalandra Maestro Blue is a low-light plant, and the light that comes with a standard tank kit is enough for it.
Does Bucephalandra Maestro Blue need root tabs?
No. Bucephalandra Maestro Blue 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 Maestro Blue?
Bucephalandra Maestro Blue propagates by rhizome division. Cut the rhizome into pieces with several leaves each, then tie or plant each piece.
How tall does Bucephalandra Maestro Blue grow?
Bucephalandra Maestro Blue 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)