Cryptocoryne walkeri
Cryptocoryne walkeri
Also known as Cryptocoryne lutea, Cryptocoryne walkeri 'Lutea', Cryptocoryne walkeri 'Legroi', Cryptocoryne 'Sri Lanka'
Care at a glance
- Light
- Low light
- CO2
- CO₂ beneficial
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Placement
- Midground
- Type
- Rosette
- Temperature
- 72–82°F (22–28°C)
- pH
- 6.0–7.5
- Hardness
- 2–15 dGH
- Max height
- 9.8 in (25 cm)
- Spread
- 7.9 in (20 cm)
- Nutrient uptake
- Root feeder
- Growth region
- Submersed or emersed
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Origin
- Sri Lanka
- Family
- Araceae
Overview
A reliable beginner midground crypt for low light with no CO2 required, though CO2 and richer dosing tighten and speed up growth. Feed through the roots with tabs or nutrient substrate and plant the crown just clear of the soil. It is slow to settle and may take several months before it starts throwing daughter plants on runners, so be patient and avoid replanting, which can set off crypt melt. Its more rigid, upright habit makes it useful as a structural midground accent rather than a low carpet.
In the wild
Cryptocoryne walkeri grows in slow streams, rivers and marshes in Sri Lanka, living emersed along the banks and submersed when water rises. Unlike the bushy wendtii types it tends toward a more upright, rigid rosette of green to olive lance-shaped leaves. The form long sold as 'Lutea' is a slightly smaller, sturdier selection of the same species.
Good to know
The accepted name is Cryptocoryne walkeri Schott, and Kew treats it as a fairly broad species that absorbs several former names. Cryptocoryne lutea is now considered a synonym, along with infraspecific names such as var. legroi and var. lutea. As an aroid it reproduces in the wild through a hooded spathe rather than a true flower.
Did you know
Did you know the familiar 'Lutea' you see in shops is just C. walkeri under an old name? It was once thought to be a separate species, Cryptocoryne lutea, but it is now folded into the broader and rather variable C. walkeri.
Where to buy
Some links may not be the exact species or variety.
- Glass Aqua Aquascaping plants and planted tank supplies
- Buce Plant Aquatic plants and aquascaping supplies
- Aquarium Co-Op Live plants and dependable gear for community tanks
…or ask your local fish store.
Appears in
Low-light plants · Midground plants · Cryptocoryne · Beginner plants
Growing Cryptocoryne walkeri?
Track your planted tank, set reminders and plan your layout.
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