Rotala Orange Juice
Rotala rotundifolia 'Orange Juice'
Also known as Rotala Orange Juice, Rotala rotundifolia OJ, Rotala sp. 'Orange Juice'
Care at a glance
- Light
- High light
- CO2
- CO₂ beneficial
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Placement
- Background
- Type
- Stem
- Temperature
- 59–82°F (15–28°C)
- pH
- 5.5–7.5
- Hardness
- 1–12 dGH
- Max height
- 11.8 in (30 cm)
- Spread
- 1.6 in (4 cm)
- Nutrient uptake
- Root + water column
- Growth region
- Submersed or emersed
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Origin
- Italy (cultivated selection)
- Family
- Lythraceae
Overview
Grow it as a background or upper-midground stem plant and top it regularly to keep it bushy. It only shows its full green-yellow-orange-red gradient under strong light with CO2 and steady iron dosing, staying greener and softer-colored in low-tech tanks. The leaves are brittle, so handle stems gently when planting and replant trimmed tops rather than leaving cut stumps.
In the wild
This is not a wild plant. It is a cultivated form of the Asian species Rotala rotundifolia, which in the wild grows in marshes, rice paddies, and pond margins across Southeast Asia. Orange Juice was selected in cultivation in Italy around 2014 and does not occur in nature.
Good to know
Rotala rotundifolia belongs to the loosestrife family, Lythraceae. The species name means round-leaved and refers to the rounded leaves of the emersed (out of water) form, while submersed stems produce narrow, needle-like leaves. Orange Juice is a color sport, meaning a spontaneous mutation, selected from the 'Colorata' form.
Did you know
Did you know Orange Juice was created by Italian hobbyist Massimo Iannella, who spotted and propagated a few orange-tinted shoots growing in a patch of ordinary Rotala 'Colorata'.
Where to buy
Some links may not be the exact species or variety.
- Glass Aqua Aquascaping plants and planted tank supplies
- Buce Plant Aquatic plants and aquascaping supplies
- Aquarium Plants Factory Aquatic plants shipped from a California greenhouse
…or ask your local fish store.
Appears in
High-light plants · Background plants · Stem plants · Fast growers · Red plants
Growing Rotala Orange Juice?
Track your planted tank, set reminders and plan your layout.
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