Crinum Calamistratum - Potted

The Crinum Calamistratum is the most elegant bulb plant in the hobby: dozens of long, narrow, tightly crinkled deep-green ribbons rise from an onion-like bulb and sway with every bit of current, eventually trailing along the surface like living streamers. It grows from West African streams, lives for many years, and is one of the few dramatic centerpiece plants that asks almost nothing in return. Even fish that shred other plants usually leave its tough, ruffled leaves alone. Browse the rest of our live freshwater plants to finish the scape.

Care Guide

• Planting the bulb: the golden rule is to bury only the bottom half to two-thirds of the bulb and leave the neck exposed. A fully buried bulb can rot; a properly planted one lives for a decade.
• Feed the roots: crinums are root feeders. A root tab near the bulb every few months keeps the ribbon factory running.
• Light: low to moderate is plenty; it grows fine in ordinary tank lighting and does not demand CO2.
• Water parameters: 72 to 82°F, pH 6.5 to 7.8, soft to moderately hard. Very tolerant once rooted.
• Patience at the start: it may sulk for a few weeks after planting, then send up leaf after leaf. Old leaves can be trimmed at the bulb as new ones replace them.
• Room to flow: leaves reach 2 feet or more, so give it a back corner where the streamers can drift without shading everything.

Specifications

Placement & Companions

Plant it in a back corner where the crinkled ribbons can arch over the tank, and give it neighbors that contrast rather than compete: the broad red leaves of the Red Tiger Lotus, a fellow bulb plant, or the speckled rosette of the Altlandsberg Sword. It is shrimp safe, and its tough leaves survive tanks with rowdy cichlids and even many goldfish.

Recommended Supplies

• Aquarium Co-Op Easy Root Tabs bulb fuel
• Seachem Flourish comprehensive supplement

FAQ

How deep do I plant the bulb?
Half to two-thirds in the substrate, neck and shoulders exposed. If in doubt, shallower is safer; the roots will anchor it.

My new crinum lost some leaves. Normal?
Yes. Bulb plants often swap a few old leaves for new submerged growth after moving. As long as the bulb stays firm, it is thriving.

Will it flower?
Mature, well-fed plants occasionally send a stalk to the surface and open a white, fragrant flower, one of the coolest events in the planted-tank hobby.

Is it really goldfish and cichlid resistant?
More than almost any fine-leaved plant. The crinkled leaves are tough and unpalatable, though a determined digger can still uproot a freshly planted bulb, so protect it until rooted.