Limnophila Belem

Care at a glance

Overview

A midground to background stem for tanks with real light. It survives in modest setups as a plain green plant, but the pink and purple tips only come with high light, CO2 and iron-rich micro dosing. Growth is quick when supported and it branches densely after trimming, so top the stems and replant to build a colored thicket. Keep parameters stable; sudden swings show up as melt on the lower stem.

In the wild

Where this plant actually comes from is genuinely unclear. It is sold under the name Belem, which points to Belem at the mouth of the Amazon in Brazil, and some shops list a South American origin, but Limnophila is an Old World genus and other retailers state Asia. No collection record has been published, so the origin has to be treated as unresolved.

Good to know

An unidentified Limnophila in the family Plantaginaceae, known in the hobby only by its trade name. Unlike the feathery, whorled Limnophila most keepers know, Belem carries narrow paired leaves with finely serrated margins. Under strong light the growing tips flush deep pink to purple, which is the plant's main draw.

Did you know

Its trade name points to Belem in the Brazilian Amazon, yet every known Limnophila is native to the Old World. Either the name preserves a collection mystery or the plant is not what the label says, and nobody has settled it.

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