TankBud

Persicaria Sao Paulo

Persicaria sp. 'Sao Paulo'

Also known as Polygonum sp. 'Sao Paulo', Persicaria hydropiperoides 'Sao Paulo', Sao Paulo smartweed

FreshwaterStemCuttingsSide shoots

Persicaria Sao Paulo (Persicaria sp. 'Sao Paulo')
Aquarium Plants Factory · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Light
High light
CO2
CO₂ required
Temperature
64–86°F
18–30°C
Max height
19.7 in
50 cm
Growth rate
Fast
Placement
Background
Type
Stem
pH
5.0–7.0
Hardness
0–14 dGH
Spread
2 in (5 cm)
Nutrient uptake
Root + water column
Growth region
Submersed or emersed
Difficulty
Medium
Family
Polygonaceae
Origin
Brazil (Sao Paulo region), South America

Overview

Persicaria Sao Paulo is a fast, upright stem plant for the background and one of the most intensely colored stems available. It is rated medium in difficulty.

Did you know

The red color of Persicaria Sao Paulo is a sunscreen response. Under bright light the plant floods its leaves with anthocyanin pigments. That is why the same stem grows plain green emersed and vivid magenta underwater.

Caring for Persicaria Sao Paulo

Strip the lower leaves and plant single stems a little apart, in a loose group in the background. Persicaria Sao Paulo grows strictly upright, so each stem needs its own spot.

It needs strong light and injected CO2, plus generous macro and iron dosing through root tabs and a liquid fertilizer. With all three it turns deep magenta to wine red. Weak light or low nutrients leave it a dull olive green with none of that color. It handles 64 to 86°F (18 to 30°C).

It grows fast. Top it and replant the tops to keep the group bushy, and cut off side shoots once they have a few leaves.

Good to know

Persicaria Sao Paulo belongs to Polygonaceae, the knotweed and smartweed family, recognizable by the papery sheath, or ochrea, wrapping each node. It has never been formally described to species, so it circulates in the hobby only under its collection name. It was long sold as Polygonum, before that genus was split and the aquatic smartweeds moved to Persicaria.

In the wild

Persicaria Sao Paulo was collected near Sao Paulo, Brazil, and is thought to belong to the widespread wetland species Persicaria hydropiperoides. In the wild these smartweeds grow along the muddy margins of ponds, ditches and slow streams. They root in the shallows and push emersed shoots above the surface. Like most Persicaria, they live an amphibious life.

Common questions

Does Persicaria Sao Paulo 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 Persicaria Sao Paulo need CO2?

Yes. Persicaria Sao Paulo needs injected CO2 to grow well, and it usually struggles without it.

How much light does Persicaria Sao Paulo need?

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

Does Persicaria Sao Paulo need root tabs?

They help. Persicaria Sao Paulo takes nutrients through both its roots and its leaves. Root tabs near its roots and a liquid fertilizer cover both.

How do you propagate Persicaria Sao Paulo?

Persicaria Sao Paulo 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 Persicaria Sao Paulo grow?

Persicaria Sao Paulo grows to about 19.7 in (50 cm) tall. It grows fast, so expect to trim it often.

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