Nesaea pedicellata Golden

Ammannia pedicellata

Also known as Nesaea pedicellata, Nesaea pedicellata 'Golden', Ammannia pedicellata 'Golden', Golden Nesaea, Ammannia pedicellata 'Gold'

FreshwaterStemCuttingsSide shoots

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: 5.0–7.5
Hardness: 2–12 dGH
Max height: 15.7 in (40 cm)
Spread: 3.1 in (8 cm)
Nutrient uptake: Root + water column
Growth region: Submersed or emersed
Difficulty: Difficult
Origin: East Africa
Family: Lythraceae

Overview

A demanding background stem prized for glowing yellow-gold leaves on orange-red stems, which only develop under bright light with CO2 injection. It is genuinely fussy: skimp on light, CO2 or nutrients and it stunts. Note that this plant and its relatives are reported to be sensitive to high potassium dosing, so go easy on K. Propagate from top cuttings or lateral shoots.

In the wild

Native to East Africa, where it grows in temporary puddles, bogs and seasonally flooded ground. It is a marsh plant that survives dry periods emersed and shifts to submersed growth when flooded.

Good to know

The accepted botanical name is Ammannia pedicellata (Hiern) S.A. Graham & Gandhi; it was formerly placed in the genus Nesaea, which is why it still trades widely as Nesaea pedicellata. 'Golden' is a selected yellow-gold cultivar rather than a distinct species. Emersed, its foliage is a plainer darker green.

Did you know

The 'Golden' form is a nursery-selected color sport (attributed to Florida Aquatic Nurseries) rather than something you would find growing gold in an African bog, where the wild plant is ordinary green.