Hemigraphis Repanda Green
Plant Profile
Hemigraphis repanda 'Green', commonly known as Green Dragon's Tongue, is a tropical perennial shrub sporting slender, ribbon-like leaves with deeply crinkled margins and a clean, grass-green coloration. Just like its purple sibling, this green form is a frequent victim of big-box store trickery, masquerading in submerged aquarium tanks where it stubbornly holds its breath for a month before staging a catastrophic underwater melt. Keep it in a warm, humid terrarium where it actually belongs, and its rippled, grassy foliage will reward you with steady growth and occasionally tiny white blossoms.
Key Features & Notes
- Slender, crinkled bright green leaves create a fine-textured, grass-like appearance on the floor.
- Strictly terrestrial perennial that will turn to mush if you try to plant it underwater.
- Clean, light-colored foliage stands out nicely against dark hardscape and shadowy corners.
Care & Planting Instructions
- Prep the plant by removing it from the pot and clearing all rockwool from the roots.
- Tuck the root cluster gently into an airy, moisture-retentive tropical soil blend with plenty of bark and perlite, avoiding dense mixes that stay soggy.
- Provide medium to bright indirect light; good lighting keeps the rippled foliage compact and encourage small white flowers, but harsh direct rays will scorch the narrow leaf tips.
- Maintain humidity above 70% while ensuring the substrate drains freely, as sitting in standing, stagnant water will lead to stem melt.
- Pinch back the growing tips just above a leaf node to keep the stems compact and prevent them from looking stretched or leggy.
- Final size and leaf density depend entirely on your specific setup conditions; please note that photos are a representation, and individual plants may vary.
- Hemigraphis repanda Green are terrestrial plants, and being submerged will result in the death of the plants.
Quick Facts
Listed information should be treated as general guidelines only. Team Buce Plant encourages you to do thorough research to ensure healthy growth!
| Attribute | Specification |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Hemigraphis repanda 'Green' |
| Common Name(s) | Green Dragon's Tongue, Narrow Leaf Green Hemigraphis |
| Family | Acanthaceae |
| Plant Type | Terrestrial Tropical Perennial Shrub |
| Care Difficulty | Easy |
| Light Requirement | Medium to Bright Indirect |
| Submersion Suitability | Emersed Only (Not for full submersion) |
| Placement / Usage | Foreground, Midground, Paludarium Margins |
| Height / Size | 4"–10" (10–25 cm) |
| Growth Rate | Slow to Moderate |
| Humidity Requirement | High (> 70% RH) |
| Propagation Method | Stem Cuttings / Lateral Runners |
| Origin | Southeast Asia (Malaysia) |
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can Green Dragon's Tongue be grown underwater in a fish tank?
No. Despite often being sold in submerged pet store tanks, Green Dragon's Tongue is strictly terrestrial and will rot away if left submerged.
2. Can Hemigraphis repanda Green flower inside a terrarium?
Yes. If provided with steady ambient humidity and ample bright indirect light, it regularly produces small, delicate white flowers from the leaf axils.
3. How do you propagate Hemigraphis repanda Green?
Take a stem cutting with at least two or three leaf nodes, remove the lower foliage, and press the cut end into damp sphagnum moss or light tropical soil until rooted.