Cultivated form (variegated selection of the Southeast Asian temple plant, no wild range)
Overview
Hygrophila corymbosa Variegated is a marbled form of the temple plant for the background of the tank.
Did you know
Hygrophila corymbosa Variegated carries little chlorophyll in its pale patches, yet growers report no loss of speed. It keeps the fast pace of the plain green temple plant and stays a beginner plant.
Caring for Hygrophila corymbosa Variegated
Plant Hygrophila corymbosa Variegated in the background as single stems a few centimeters apart. Strip the lower leaves before you push each stem in. Keep the water at 68 to 82°F (20 to 28°C).
Medium light or brighter keeps the marbling, while dim light and thin feeding fade it. CO2 is optional and mostly speeds growth. Feed the roots with rich soil or root tabs, and dose a liquid fertilizer as well.
Judge the pattern on the first submersed leaves, since the thick emersed leaves it ships with show it less clearly. Cut any solid green shoot out at its base, or the stronger green growth will slowly take over. It grows fast, so top and replant the stems to keep the group bushy.
Good to know
Hygrophila corymbosa Variegated belongs to the Acanthaceae, the same family as water wisteria. Its trade name Nomaphila Variegatus keeps Nomaphila, an older genus name for the temple plant. Its broad leaves are marbled and spotted in cream, yellow and white over green. Now and then it throws a solid green shoot, which has reverted to the plain temple plant. Its sister forms, Siamensis, Compacta and Cherry Leaf, have unmarked leaves.
In the wild
Hygrophila corymbosa Variegated is a cultivated form with no wild population, grown emersed on nursery farms for the trade. Its parent, the temple plant, lives in marshes, ditches and stream margins from Thailand to Indonesia. There it grows emersed on wet banks for part of the year and goes under when the water rises.
Common questions
Is Hygrophila corymbosa Variegated a different species from Hygrophila corymbosa?
No. Hygrophila corymbosa Variegated is a form of Hygrophila corymbosa. It wants medium light, where the species wants low.
Does Hygrophila corymbosa Variegated need to be planted in the substrate?
Yes. Strip the leaves from the lower part of each stem, then push the stems into the substrate one at a time, a little apart.
Does Hygrophila corymbosa Variegated need CO2?
No. Hygrophila corymbosa Variegated grows well without added CO2.
How much light does Hygrophila corymbosa Variegated need?
Hygrophila corymbosa Variegated wants medium light. A light sold for planted tanks covers it.
Does Hygrophila corymbosa Variegated need root tabs?
They help. Hygrophila corymbosa Variegated takes nutrients through both its roots and its leaves. Root tabs near its roots and a liquid fertilizer cover both.
How do you propagate Hygrophila corymbosa Variegated?
Hygrophila corymbosa Variegated propagates by cuttings and side shoots. Cut off the top of a stem and replant it, and the stump left behind grows new shoots. Cut a side shoot off once it has a few leaves and plant it on its own.
How tall does Hygrophila corymbosa Variegated grow?
Hygrophila corymbosa Variegated grows to about 19.7 in (50 cm) tall. It grows fast, so expect to trim it often.
High lightBackground19.7 in (50 cm)
Medium lightBackground19.7 in (50 cm)
Low lightBackground17.7 in (45 cm)
Medium lightBackground23.6 in (60 cm)
Medium lightBackground15.7 in (40 cm)
Medium lightBackground19.7 in (50 cm)