Cryptocoryne wendtii Tropica

Cryptocoryne wendtii 'Tropica'

Also known as Crypt Wendtii Tropica, Cryptocoryne Tropica, Cryptocoryne wendtii 'Bronze' (related form)

FreshwaterBrackishRosetteRunnersRhizome division

Cryptocoryne wendtii Tropica (Cryptocoryne wendtii 'Tropica') — photo: S. Tanaka · Public domain

Care at a glance

Light: Low light
CO2: No CO₂ needed
Growth rate: Medium
Placement: Midground
Type: Rosette
Temperature: 72–82°F (22–28°C)
pH: 6.0–7.5
Hardness: 3–12 dGH
Max height: 5.9 in (15 cm)
Spread: 7.1 in (18 cm)
Nutrient uptake: Root + water column
Growth region: Submersed or emersed
Difficulty: Easy
Origin: Cultivated selection of Cryptocoryne wendtii (native to Sri Lanka)
Family: Araceae

Overview

One of the best beginner crypts, hardy and undemanding, forming a low dense clump in the mid ground. Plant it in a nutrient-rich substrate with root tabs, keep light low to moderate, and expect it to melt after planting before regrowing acclimatized leaves. It needs no CO2, tolerates hard water well, and slowly spreads by runners into a tidy patch.

In the wild

A compact bronze-green cultivar of Cryptocoryne wendtii, a species from the shaded streams and riverbanks of Sri Lanka. In the wild the parent plant grows in soft, slightly acidic water under forest canopy, spreading by runners through leaf litter. It grows submersed in the water column and emersed on damp banks depending on water level.

Good to know

Named after the Danish nursery Tropica that popularized it, this is one of the most compact forms in the Cryptocoryne wendtii complex within the arum family Araceae. Its leaves are distinctly hammered and puckered with a dark bronze-green top and reddish underside. Under very low light it stretches upward and loses the broad textured leaf shape, so it holds its form best under low to moderate light.

Did you know

Did you know Cryptocoryne wendtii changes leaf shape and color dramatically depending on conditions. The same plant can look tall and green in low light or short, broad and deep bronze under stronger light, which is why crypt varieties are notoriously hard to identify from photos alone.