Rotala Macrandra 'Green' UNS Tissue Culture
Plant Profile
Rotala Macrandra Green is a classic green cultivar of one of aquascaping's most beloved stem plants. It's known for its soft, wavy leaves and fast growth, with lush light-green coloration that can develop delicate pink to orange tips under high lighting and regular nutrient dosing.
This stem plant works well as a background or midground plant, where its fast vertical growth can be trimmed into dense, textured bushes. Green Rotala is considered a demanding plant and performs best in high-tech aquariums with strong lighting and pressurized CO2.
Tissue culture aquarium plants are grown in a controlled laboratory environment and arrive free of algae, pests, and other unwanted organisms, making them a convenient option for establishing a clean planted aquarium.
Key Features & Benefits
- Delicate leaves give the plant a soft, textured appearance.
- Can develop pink to orange tones on newer growth when conditions are well suited to the plant.
- Responds well to regular trimming, allowing you to shape and maintain a dense group of stems.
- Tissue culture format provides a clean starting point without algae or common aquarium pests.
- Individual portions can be planted separately to spread the cup across a larger area of the aquarium.
Care & Planting Instructions
- Remove the plant from the cup and gently wash away all nutrient gel with clean water.
- Separate the tissue culture into several smaller portions rather than planting the entire clump together.
- Plant individual portions into nutrient-rich aquarium substrate, spacing them slightly apart so light can reach the lower growth.
- Rotala Macrandra Green requires high-intensity lighting and pressurized CO2 for healthy growth and leaf development.
- Maintain stable water parameters and avoid sudden environmental changes to help prevent leaf loss or stunted growth.
- To encourage pink and orange coloration on the leaf tips, maintain phosphate around 1.5–2.0 ppm with nitrate around 10 ppm or less.
- Some leaf loss may occur as the plant adjusts to aquarium conditions. New submerged growth should develop as it acclimates.
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Once established, trim the taller stems to encourage branching and replant healthy cuttings to propagate.
- Maintain stable water parameters and avoid sudden environmental shifts to prevent leaf melt or stem stunting.
- Trim stem tops with straight scissors once they reach the water surface to encourage dense side branching, and replant trimmings directly into substrate to propagate. Read our trimming & propagation guide for details.
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 | Rotala macrandra 'Green' |
| Common Name(s) | Rotala Macrandra Green, Giant Green Rotala |
| Family | Lythraceae |
| Plant Type / Taxonomy | Stem Plant |
| Care Difficulty | Difficult / High-Tech Required |
| Light Requirement | High |
| CO2 Requirement | Required (Essential for healthy leaf formation) |
| Placement / Usage | Background / Midground Bushing |
| Height / Size | 4–12”+ |
| Growth Rate | Moderate to Fast (Up to 4” per week) |
| Water Parameters | pH 6.5–7.5 |
| Propagation Method | Cuttings (Cut stem and replant tops) |
| Origin | India |
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why are the lower leaves falling off my stem plants?
Lower leaf loss (leggy stems) usually occurs when lighting cannot reach the bottom of the plant due to overcrowding or shading from larger plants. Spacing individual stems slightly apart during initial planting and maintaining strong light penetration will keep lower leaves healthy.
2. How do I get my Rotala Macrandra Green to display pink tips?
To encourage subtle pink and reddish highlights on the leaf tips, provide high light intensity, pressurized CO2, and maintain high phosphate levels (around 1.5–2.0 ppm) with moderate-to-low nitrate concentration (10 ppm or less).