Bucephalandra Red Catherine stays low on its short stalks, which suits the foreground or a midground stone. It is an easy, slow-growing plant.
Did you know
Red Catherine borrows its name from a species that Wong and Boyce (2014) tied to no trade plant. The same authors gave the trade name 'Fake Catherinae' to a look-alike species, Bucephalandra belindae, from granite cascades near Nanga Pinoh.
Caring for Bucephalandra Red Catherine
Attach the plant to stone or wood with glue or thread, keeping the rhizome above any substrate. A buried rhizome rots.
Bucephalandra Red Catherine grows in low light without CO2 and stays greener there, while medium light brings out the red and bronze. Keep the light at medium or below, since brighter light grows algae on the slow leaves. Added CO2 speeds its growth, and it does well at 72 to 82°F (22 to 28°C). Its roots and the water column both feed it, so a liquid fertilizer does more than root tabs.
Red Catherine often arrives green, especially from tissue culture, and reddens as it adapts to life underwater. Give it about three months before judging the color. Divide the rhizome into pieces with several leaves each to propagate.
Good to know
Red Catherine is an Araceae trade clone, listed as Bucephalandra sp. until its species is confirmed. Its name points to Bucephalandra catherineae, which Boyce, Bogner and Mayo described in 1995 and shops usually spell catherinae. It has the narrow, crinkled leaves and short stalks of the green Catherinae, but turns red-bronze to purple underwater. APF notes the red is pigment in the leaf, so it reads red from more angles than the iridescent Buce.
In the wild
Red Catherine is sold as a red form of Bucephalandra catherineae, though that label is unconfirmed. Wong and Boyce (2014) know B. catherineae only from basalt boulders along a river in Apo Kayan, North Kalimantan, at about 600 m. They treat similar plants from riverside granite near Nanga Pinoh, about 450 km southwest, as unconfirmed. Red Catherine's own collection site is unknown, and shop stock is farmed or tissue cultured.
Common questions
Does Bucephalandra Red Catherine need to be planted in the substrate?
No. Bucephalandra Red Catherine 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 Red Catherine need CO2?
No, but it helps. Bucephalandra Red Catherine can grow without injected CO2, and added CO2 makes it grow faster.
How much light does Bucephalandra Red Catherine need?
Bucephalandra Red Catherine is a low-light plant, and the light that comes with a standard tank kit is enough for it.
Does Bucephalandra Red Catherine need root tabs?
No. Bucephalandra Red Catherine 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 Red Catherine?
Bucephalandra Red Catherine propagates by rhizome division. Cut the rhizome into pieces with several leaves each, then tie or plant each piece.
How tall does Bucephalandra Red Catherine grow?
Bucephalandra Red Catherine grows to about 3.1 in (8 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)