TankBud

Rotala Red Cross

Rotala 'Red Cross'

Also known as Rotala ramosior 'Red Cross', Rotala sp. 'Araguaia Red Cross', Red Cross Rotala

FreshwaterStemCuttingsSide shoots

Care at a glance

Light
High light
CO2
CO₂ required
Max height
11.8 in
30 cm
Growth rate
Medium
Placement
Midground
Type
Stem
Spread
2 in (5 cm)
Nutrient uptake
Root + water column
Growth region
Submersed or emersed
Difficulty
Difficult
Family
Lythraceae
Origin
Trade selection attributed to Rotala ramosior, a species of the Americas; provenance of the cultivated form unrecorded

Overview

Rotala Red Cross is a stem plant for the midground, grown for its leaf color. It is a difficult plant.

Did you know

Each leaf of Rotala Red Cross is its own ombre, light green through yellow to orange along a single blade. A stand of it reads as layered color rather than a solid block of red.

Caring for Rotala Red Cross

Plant Rotala Red Cross as a group of single stems in the midground, a couple of centimeters apart. It grows submersed or emersed and suits a dry-start setup.

High light is a must, since in medium light it stays green and loses the gradient it is bought for. Steady injected CO2, lean nitrate and iron dosing push the orange. Root tabs and a liquid fertilizer feed both roots and leaves.

It grows at a medium pace. Under strong light, algae will find the leaves if maintenance slips. Propagate it by trimming and replanting the side shoots.

Good to know

Rotala Red Cross is a member of the family Lythraceae. Shops print it as Rotala ramosior 'Red Cross'. The 'Araguaia Red Cross' label seen elsewhere is the same plant under a misapplied name. Its leaves are narrow, and the color sits in them rather than in the stem.

In the wild

Rotala Red Cross is a trade selection attributed to Rotala ramosior. That species is a small amphibious plant widespread in the Americas, growing on wet shores and in seasonal shallows. It spends much of the year emersed. The cultivated line has no recorded wild collection, so where this form came from is unknown.

Common questions

Does Rotala Red Cross 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 Red Cross need CO2?

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

How much light does Rotala Red Cross need?

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

Does Rotala Red Cross need root tabs?

They help. Rotala Red Cross 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 Red Cross?

Rotala Red Cross 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 Red Cross grow?

Rotala Red Cross grows to about 11.8 in (30 cm) tall. It grows at a moderate pace.

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