TankBud

Pogostemon Dassen

Pogostemon stellatus 'Dassen'

Also known as Pogostemon sp. 'Dassen', Pogostemon stellata 'Dassen', Eusteralis stellata 'Dassen'

FreshwaterStemCuttingsSide shoots

Pogostemon Dassen (Pogostemon stellatus 'Dassen')
Aquarium Plants Factory · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Light
High light
CO2
CO₂ required
Temperature
68–82°F
20–28°C
Max height
17.7 in
45 cm
Growth rate
Medium
Placement
Background
Type
Stem
pH
5.0–7.0
Hardness
1–8 dGH
Spread
3.1 in (8 cm)
Nutrient uptake
Root + water column
Growth region
Submersed or emersed
Difficulty
Difficult
Family
Lamiaceae
Origin
Southeast Asia (selected cultivar)

Overview

Pogostemon Dassen is a difficult stem plant for the background. It suits an established high-tech tank and experienced hands, not a beginner.

Did you know

This fussy red aquascaping stem is a botanical cousin of patchouli, whose oil goes into perfumes. The whole narrow-leaved Pogostemon group shares that link.

Caring for Pogostemon Dassen

Strip the lower leaves and plant the stems one at a time in the background, a little apart. Pogostemon Dassen needs bright light, around 100 PAR or more, and stable, strong injected CO2. Keep the water soft, with a GH of 1 to 8, at 68 to 82°F (20 to 28°C).

Dose full macros and micros, with root tabs for the roots and a liquid fertilizer for the leaves. Steady feeding brings out its orange, pink and red tones and keeps the plant compact.

It grows at a moderate pace. Trim it and replant the tops to build a full, bushy stand. It is finicky and prone to shedding its lower leaves and melting when parameters swing, so keep conditions steady.

Good to know

Pogostemon Dassen is a hobby cultivar of Pogostemon stellatus in Lamiaceae, the mint family. It was selected for finer, more delicate foliage than the standard form. The narrow-leaved aquatic Pogostemon were once placed in the genus Eusteralis, so older references list this plant as Eusteralis stellata. Its leaves emerge in whorled pairs along the stem, the stellate arrangement that gives the species its name.

In the wild

The parent species, Pogostemon stellatus, is a marsh and wetland plant from tropical Southeast Asia. It grows on seasonally flooded ground across Thailand, Malaysia and neighboring countries. It stands emersed on damp soil for much of the year and goes underwater only when the wet season floods its habitat.

Common questions

Does Pogostemon Dassen 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 Pogostemon Dassen need CO2?

Yes. Pogostemon Dassen needs injected CO2 to grow well, and it usually struggles without it.

How much light does Pogostemon Dassen need?

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

Does Pogostemon Dassen need root tabs?

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

How do you propagate Pogostemon Dassen?

Pogostemon Dassen 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 Pogostemon Dassen grow?

Pogostemon Dassen grows to about 17.7 in (45 cm) tall. It grows at a moderate pace.

Related plants