Lab-raised selection (Sreepadma farm, India; parent species native to Sri Lanka)
Overview
Cryptocoryne wendtii Sindoor is a slow, easy crypt for the midground, grown for the red cast of its leaves.
Did you know
Cryptocoryne wendtii Sindoor is named after sindoor, the vermilion powder worn in Hindu tradition. The name was chosen for the maroon-red cast of its leaves.
Caring for Cryptocoryne wendtii Sindoor
Plant Cryptocoryne wendtii Sindoor in a rich substrate or with root tabs, and keep the water stable. It sits well in the midground at 8 to 15 cm.
It wants medium light, which is where the maroon and pink tones develop. In dim tanks it drifts back toward bronze green. CO2 is not required, but it deepens the color and speeds the slow growth. Keep the water at 72 to 82°F (22 to 28°C).
Expect some melt when it is first planted or whenever conditions jump. Resist replanting it, since an undisturbed crypt always outgrows a moved one. Runners appear once it is established, and a rooted runner plant can be cut free and replanted.
Good to know
Cryptocoryne wendtii Sindoor is a cultivar of Cryptocoryne wendtii, the most variable of the water trumpets, in the family Araceae. Its mature submersed leaves run maroon to blush pink, where wendtii 'Brown' stays bronze. As a selected mutation, it is propagated by tissue culture to keep the color stable.
In the wild
Cryptocoryne wendtii Sindoor is a lab-raised selection, not a wild plant. It was spotted and stabilized at the Sreepadma farm in India, as a mutation of Cryptocoryne wendtii 'Brown' rather than a collected or line-bred plant. The wild parent grows in shaded rainforest streams in Sri Lanka, emersed on the banks and submersed in the channels.
Common questions
Is Cryptocoryne wendtii Sindoor a different species from Cryptocoryne wendtii?
No. Cryptocoryne wendtii Sindoor is a form of Cryptocoryne wendtii. It reaches about 5.9 in (15 cm), against 9.8 in (25 cm) for the species. It wants medium light, where the species wants low. Added CO2 helps it, while the species grows well without. It also differs in difficulty, growth rate and spread.
Does Cryptocoryne wendtii Sindoor 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 wendtii Sindoor need CO2?
No, but it helps. Cryptocoryne wendtii Sindoor can grow without injected CO2, and added CO2 makes it grow faster.
How much light does Cryptocoryne wendtii Sindoor need?
Cryptocoryne wendtii Sindoor wants medium light. A light sold for planted tanks covers it.
Does Cryptocoryne wendtii Sindoor need root tabs?
Yes. Cryptocoryne wendtii Sindoor 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 wendtii Sindoor?
Cryptocoryne wendtii Sindoor propagates by runners. New plants grow along its runners. Cut one free once it has roots and plant it.
How tall does Cryptocoryne wendtii Sindoor grow?
Cryptocoryne wendtii Sindoor 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)