Pogostemon stellatus Broad Leaf

Pogostemon stellatus 'Broad Leaf'

Also known as Pogostemon stellatus 'Broad', Broad leaf water star, Eusteralis stellata 'Broad Leaf'

FreshwaterStemCuttingsSide shoots

Care at a glance

Light: High light
CO2: CO₂ required
Temperature: 72–82°F; 22–28°C
Max height: 23.6 in; 60 cm

Growth rate: Medium
Placement: Background
Type: Stem
pH: 6.0–7.0
Hardness: 3–12 dGH
Spread: 4.7 in (12 cm)
Nutrient uptake: Root + water column
Growth region: Submersed or emersed
Difficulty: Difficult
Family: Lamiaceae
Origin: Asia and Australia

Overview

Pogostemon stellatus Broad Leaf is a difficult stem plant for the background, where it reads fullest in a group.

Did you know

Pogostemon stellatus is one species with two silhouettes. The narrow form is sold as a spiky octopus, while the broad form grows as a layered star. Shops have treated the two as separate plants for decades.

Caring for Pogostemon stellatus Broad Leaf

Strip the lower leaves and plant the stems one at a time in a background group, a little apart. Pogostemon stellatus Broad Leaf needs strong light and injected CO2, the same demanding recipe as the narrow form.

Give it a steady supply of micronutrients, with iron dosing behind the purple tips. Feed the roots with root tabs and the water with a liquid fertilizer. It handles 72 to 82°F (22 to 28°C).

It grows at a moderate pace. Top it and replant the tops rather than letting the stems age out. Like all stellatus forms, it stunts quickly when CO2 or micronutrients dip.

Good to know

Pogostemon stellatus Broad Leaf is a member of the mint family, Lamiaceae, long traded under its old genus name Eusteralis. The familiar narrow form carries needle-fine whorls. Broad Leaf sets noticeably wider, flatter blades in the same dense whorls, so a single stem reads as a full rosette from above. Under strong light the tips flush from green through pink to violet.

In the wild

Pogostemon stellatus Broad Leaf is a trade form of the water star. The species grows in shallow wetlands and paddies across South and Southeast Asia into northern Australia, and its leaf width varies widely across that range. The Broad Leaf form keeps the wide-bladed end of that spectrum, which the common narrow octopus-type material does not show.

Common questions

Does Pogostemon stellatus Broad Leaf 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 stellatus Broad Leaf need CO2?

Yes. Pogostemon stellatus Broad Leaf needs injected CO2 to grow well, and it usually struggles without it.

How much light does Pogostemon stellatus Broad Leaf need?

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

Does Pogostemon stellatus Broad Leaf need root tabs?

They help. Pogostemon stellatus Broad Leaf 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 stellatus Broad Leaf?

Pogostemon stellatus Broad Leaf 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.