TankBud

Nesaea crassicaulis

Ammannia crassicaulis

Also known as Ammania crassicaulis, Red stem nesaea, Thick-stemmed ammannia

FreshwaterStemCuttingsSide shoots

Nesaea crassicaulis (Ammannia crassicaulis)
Aquarium Plants Factory · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Light
High light
CO2
CO₂ required
Temperature
72–82°F
22–28°C
Max height
19.7 in
50 cm
Growth rate
Fast
Placement
Background
Type
Stem
pH
6.0–7.5
Hardness
2–12 dGH
Spread
3.9 in (10 cm)
Nutrient uptake
Root + water column
Growth region
Submersed or emersed
Difficulty
Difficult
Family
Lythraceae
Origin
Native to swamps, marshes, and seasonally flooded ground in tropical East Africa.

Overview

Nesaea crassicaulis is a robust stem plant for the background, rated difficult. Its strong stems and close leaf spacing make it a bold accent.

Did you know

Nesaea crassicaulis is still sold almost everywhere under that name. Botanists moved it into the genus Ammannia years ago, and the trade never caught up.

Caring for Nesaea crassicaulis

Strip the lower leaves and plant the stems in the background, spaced so light reaches the lower leaves. Crowded stems go bare at the bottom.

Nesaea crassicaulis needs high light, bright and unobstructed, and it needs injected CO2. It feeds through roots and leaves, so use root tabs or a rich substrate with a liquid fertilizer. Only with good fertilization does it color up and stay full. Keep it at 72 to 82°F (22 to 28°C).

It grows fast, so expect to trim it often. Take cuttings from healthy tops and replant them, and plant side shoots on their own once they have a few leaves.

Good to know

Its accepted name is Ammannia crassicaulis, in the loosestrife family, Lythraceae. The whole genus Nesaea was merged into Ammannia after a botanical revision. It is related to the toothcups and other red aquarium stems. Its narrow leaves grow in whorls and range from olive green on top to reddish brown and copper below.

In the wild

Nesaea crassicaulis grows in the swamps and marshes of tropical East Africa that flood with the seasons. It emerges above the water to flower.

Common questions

Does Nesaea crassicaulis 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 Nesaea crassicaulis need CO2?

Yes. Nesaea crassicaulis needs injected CO2 to grow well, and it usually struggles without it.

How much light does Nesaea crassicaulis need?

Nesaea crassicaulis needs high light from a strong planted-tank LED. In weaker light its stems stretch and drop their lower leaves.

Does Nesaea crassicaulis need root tabs?

They help. Nesaea crassicaulis takes nutrients through both its roots and its leaves. Root tabs near its roots and a liquid fertilizer cover both.

How do you propagate Nesaea crassicaulis?

Nesaea crassicaulis 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 Nesaea crassicaulis grow?

Nesaea crassicaulis grows to about 19.7 in (50 cm) tall. It grows fast, so expect to trim it often.

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