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Form of Rotala rotundifolia

Rotala Platinum

Rotala rotundifolia 'Platinum'

One of 11 forms of Rotala rotundifolia · See all forms →

Also known as Rotala rotundifolia 'White', Rotala White

FreshwaterStemCuttingsSide shoots

Invasive. Regulated as an invasive aquatic plant in California and Louisiana. Never release into the wild; dispose of trimmings in the trash.

Rotala Platinum (Rotala rotundifolia 'Platinum')
Buce Plant · Used with permission

Forms · Rotala rotundifolia

See all 11 →

Care at a glance

Light
High light
CO2
CO₂ required
Temperature
68–82°F
20–28°C
Max height
11.8 in
30 cm
Growth rate
Fast
Placement
Background
Type
Stem
pH
6.0–8.0
Hardness
4–15 dGH
Spread
2 in (5 cm)
Nutrient uptake
Root + water column
Growth region
Submersed or emersed
Difficulty
Difficult
Family
Lythraceae
Origin
Cultivated form (tissue-culture mutation of Rotala rotundifolia, no wild range)

Overview

Rotala Platinum is a fast, pale stem plant for the background. It rates difficult and belongs in a high-tech tank.

Did you know

Rotala Platinum is one of at least three unrelated aquarium plants sold under the Platinum name. The same label covers a Glossostigma carpet plant and a Bacopa monnieri stem, so check the genus on the cup before you buy.

Caring for Rotala Platinum

Rinse all the gel off a tissue-culture cup of Rotala Platinum and cut away any black or mushy tissue. Plant it into a stable, established tank with a rich aqua soil, since several buyers report cups melting within a week underwater. One grower had better luck with a dry start, rooting the plantlets emersed under a cover before flooding.

It needs high light, injected CO2 and soft water at 68 to 82°F (20 to 28°C) from the day it goes in. It feeds through both roots and leaves, so use root tabs in the soil along with a liquid fertilizer.

Handle the stems gently, since the leaves are fragile. Rotala Platinum grows fast, so trim it often and replant the healthy tops, and cut off side shoots to plant as well. In weak light the lower stems die back and rot, so keep taller plants from shading them.

Good to know

Rotala Platinum is a cultivar of Rotala rotundifolia in the loosestrife family, Lythraceae. Sellers describe it as a mutation of the usual green or red stock. Its leaves grow pale cream to nearly white, where the plain species runs from green to pink. Pale leaf tissue holds little chlorophyll, so a Platinum stem makes less food than a green stem of the same size. Shops also sell it as Rotala White.

In the wild

Rotala Platinum has no wild population and is propagated in tissue culture labs. US shops sell it in cups from Aquatic Farmer and UNS. The parent species grows in marshes, along streams and in rice paddies from India to China and Japan, below about 2,700 m.

Common questions

Is Rotala Platinum a different species from Rotala rotundifolia?

No. Rotala Platinum is a form of Rotala rotundifolia. It reaches about 11.8 in (30 cm), against 19.7 in (50 cm) for the species. It wants high light, where the species wants medium. It needs injected CO2, which the species can do without. It also differs in difficulty.

Does Rotala Platinum 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 Rotala Platinum need CO2?

Yes. Rotala Platinum needs injected CO2 to grow well, and it usually struggles without it.

How much light does Rotala Platinum need?

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

Does Rotala Platinum need root tabs?

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

How do you propagate Rotala Platinum?

Rotala Platinum 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 Rotala Platinum grow?

Rotala Platinum grows to about 11.8 in (30 cm) tall. It grows fast, so expect to trim it often.

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