Nesaea crassicaulis

Ammannia crassicaulis

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

FreshwaterStemCuttingsSide shoots

Nesaea crassicaulis (Ammannia crassicaulis) — no rights reserved · cc0

Care at a glance

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

Overview

This is a high-light plant that colors up and stays full only under bright, unobstructed lighting with CO2 and good fertilization. Space the stems so light reaches the lower leaves, otherwise the bottoms go bare. Use it as a background accent and take cuttings from healthy tops to propagate.

In the wild

This robust stem plant bears whorls of narrow leaves that range from olive green on top to reddish brown and copper below. It grows in African swamps and marshes that flood seasonally, emerging above the water to flower. Strong stems and close leaf spacing make it a bold background accent.

Good to know

Now placed in the genus Ammannia within the loosestrife family, Lythraceae, this plant is still widely sold under its former name Nesaea crassicaulis. The genus Nesaea was merged into Ammannia after botanical revision. It is related to the toothcups and other red aquarium stems.