Cultivated hybrid (parent species Cryptocoryne wendtii native to Sri Lanka)
Overview
Cryptocoryne Flamingo is a pink-leaved form of Cryptocoryne wendtii. It is a slow, low-techrosette for the midground.
Did you know
The bright pink of Cryptocoryne Flamingo is essentially a genetic defect. The plant makes so little chlorophyll that it grows much slower than a normal green crypt. That is why a small pot costs several times more than ordinary Cryptocoryne wendtii.
Caring for Cryptocoryne Flamingo
Plant Cryptocoryne Flamingo in a nutrient-rich substrate with root tabs near the roots, and keep the crown just above the surface. Then leave it undisturbed, since it hates being uprooted.
It grows in low light, but moderate light of roughly 40 to 60 PAR gives the best pink. It also needs iron to hold its color rather than fading to green. CO2 is not required, though it helps the plant establish and color up faster. Keep the water at 72 to 82°F (22 to 28°C).
Expect it to melt back completely when it moves from emersedtissue culture to a submerged tank. Fresh pink leaves then push up from the rhizome over the following four to six weeks. Once settled, it spreads slowly by runners, and older clumps can be divided at the rhizome.
Good to know
Cryptocoryne Flamingo is a color mutant within the Cryptocoryne wendtii complex, in the arum family Araceae. Its pink to magenta color comes from reduced chlorophyll and high anthocyanin pigment. It is almost always sold as tissue culture, because it is difficult to bulk up any other way.
In the wild
Cryptocoryne Flamingo is a cultivated selection, not a wild plant. Its parent species grows in shaded streams and on riverbanks across Sri Lanka, rooted in leaf litter and soft substrate along slow water. Like other crypts, it can grow submersed underwater or emersed along a stream margin.
Common questions
Is Cryptocoryne Flamingo a different species from Cryptocoryne wendtii?
No. Cryptocoryne Flamingo is a form of Cryptocoryne wendtii. It reaches about 5.9 in (15 cm), against 9.8 in (25 cm) for the species. Added CO2 helps it, while the species grows well without. It also differs in difficulty, growth rate and spread.
Does Cryptocoryne Flamingo need to be planted in the substrate?
Yes. Bury the roots and leave the crown, where the leaves join, just above the substrate.
Does Cryptocoryne Flamingo need CO2?
No, but it helps. Cryptocoryne Flamingo can grow without injected CO2, and added CO2 makes it grow faster.
How much light does Cryptocoryne Flamingo need?
Cryptocoryne Flamingo is a low-light plant, and the light that comes with a standard tank kit is enough for it.
Does Cryptocoryne Flamingo need root tabs?
Yes. Cryptocoryne Flamingo draws much of its food through its roots. Push root tabs in near it, or grow it in a nutrient-rich soil.
How do you propagate Cryptocoryne Flamingo?
Cryptocoryne Flamingo propagates by runners and rhizome division. New plants grow along its runners. Cut one free once it has roots and plant it. Cut the rhizome into pieces with several leaves each, then tie or plant each piece.
How tall does Cryptocoryne Flamingo grow?
Cryptocoryne Flamingo grows to about 5.9 in (15 cm) tall. It grows slowly and rarely needs trimming.
Low lightMidground5.9 in (15 cm)
Low lightMidground5.9 in (15 cm)
Low lightMidground7.1 in (18 cm)