Orchid lily Rosea

Barclaya longifolia 'Rosea'

Also known as Barclaya longifolia 'Red', Red orchid lily

FreshwaterBulb / tuberBulb offsetsSide shoots

Care at a glance

Light: Medium light
CO2: CO₂ beneficial
Temperature: 72–82°F; 22–28°C
Max height: 15.7 in; 40 cm

Growth rate: Medium
Placement: Midground
Type: Bulb / tuber
pH: 6.0–7.5
Hardness: 2–12 dGH
Spread: 9.8 in (25 cm)
Nutrient uptake: Root + water column
Growth region: Submersed
Difficulty: Medium
Family: Nymphaeaceae
Origin: Southeast Asia (Indochina to northwest Peninsular Malaysia, including Thailand)

Overview

Orchid lily Rosea is a red-leaved midground specimen for a warm, settled tank. It is moderately demanding.

Did you know

Orchid lily Rosea can pollinate its flowers without them ever opening. A healthy plant quietly sets viable seed underwater, and seedlings sometimes turn up in the gravel around the mother plant.

Caring for orchid lily Rosea

Plant the tuber shallowly over a nutrient-rich bottom, with the growing tip clear of the substrate. Orchid lily Rosea feeds through its roots and its leaves, so root tabs and a liquid fertilizer cover both.

Keep the water warm, at 72 to 82°F (22 to 28°C), since it sulks in cool tanks. Medium light suits it, and stronger light and CO2 deepen the red.

It grows at a moderate pace. Propagate it from the offsets and side shoots on the tuber.

New leaves are soft, and snails chew them readily. If the plant abruptly drops every leaf, do not panic. The tuber takes resting phases of a few weeks and then resprouts.

Good to know

Orchid lily Rosea belongs to the water lily family, Nymphaeaceae, and never makes floating leaves. Rosea is the trade label for the red form of Barclaya longifolia, which also comes in green. Its long, wavy, arrow-shaped leaves are red to red-violet above with a mauve underside. The red form stays a little smaller than the green.

In the wild

As a color form, orchid lily Rosea has no wild range of its own. Its species grows in Southeast Asia, from Indochina down to Peninsular Malaysia. It lives in warm streams and forest brooks over soft bottoms, often shaded, and grows from a tuber-like rhizome.

Common questions

Does orchid lily Rosea need to be planted in the substrate?

Yes, but only partly. Push the roots into the substrate and leave at least the top half of the bulb uncovered so it doesn't rot.

Does orchid lily Rosea need CO2?

No, but it helps. Orchid lily Rosea can grow without injected CO2, and added CO2 makes it grow faster.

How much light does orchid lily Rosea need?

Orchid lily Rosea wants medium light. A light sold for planted tanks covers it.

Does orchid lily Rosea need root tabs?

They help. Orchid lily Rosea takes nutrients through both its roots and its leaves. Root tabs near its roots and a liquid fertilizer cover both.

How do you propagate orchid lily Rosea?

Orchid lily Rosea propagates by bulb offsets and side shoots. The bulb forms offsets, which can be separated and planted on their own. Cut a side shoot off once it has a few leaves and plant it on its own.