Dark Red Ludwigia - Potted

Dark Red Ludwigia (Ludwigia sp.) is the red stem plant to start with. Reds have a reputation for being fussy, and most of that reputation belongs to other genera: Ludwigia colors up under ordinary planted-tank light, takes root from a cutting in a week, and forgives the odd missed dose. The leaves run deep burgundy on top with wine-red undersides, darkening as light increases, and a planted group gives you the single biggest color payoff available in a freshwater tank. Browse the rest of our live freshwater plants to plant around it.

Care Guide

• Light drives the color. Under moderate light you get bronze and olive with red undersides; under strong light the whole plant goes deep red. If yours is staying green, light is the lever to pull, not fertilizer.
• Iron matters for reds. A comprehensive fertilizer like Seachem Flourish covers it for most tanks. If the new growth comes in pale between the veins, add a dedicated iron supplement.
• CO2: not required. It grows and colors without injection, just more slowly and a little less intensely. Seachem Flourish Excel is a reasonable middle path.
• Water: 72 to 82°F, pH 6.0 to 7.5. Undemanding across the normal community range.
• Trimming and propagation: cut a stem, strip the lowest leaves, push the cutting into the substrate. It roots in about a week. Trim regularly and replant the tops to build a dense red thicket rather than a few bare stalks.
• It arrived grown above water. Remove the pot and rockwool before planting. Emersed leaves often melt during the change to submersed growth, and the submersed leaves that replace them are the redder ones.

Specifications

Placement and Companions

Where it goes: back third, planted as a group of five or more stems two inches apart. A single red stem reads as an accident; a block of them reads as a design choice. Stagger the heights so the group has a soft front edge.

Red against green is the whole trick. Put it behind broad green leaves like Amazon Sword or beside fine-textured Water Wisteria. The contrast is what makes the color register.

How it differs from our other Ludwigias. Ludwigia Super Red Mini is a smaller, more compact plant for the midground, and Ludwigia White is a high-light specialty with pale variegated growth. Dark Red is the full-size, easy-going red of the three.

Fish and invertebrates: safe with community fish and shrimp. Soft enough that goldfish and large cichlids will eat it, so keep it out of those tanks.

Recommended Supplies

• Seachem Flourish: comprehensive fertilizer with the iron and trace elements reds need.
• Seachem Flourish Excel: liquid carbon for denser, deeper-colored growth without CO2.
• CaribSea Eco-Complete: a planted substrate that helps cuttings root quickly, and dark gravel makes red pop.
• Amazon Sword: the broad green backdrop to set the red against.
• Ludwigia Super Red Mini: the compact sibling for the midground.

FAQ

Why is my Ludwigia green instead of red?
Not enough light. Red pigment is the plant's sunscreen, so it only produces it when the light justifies the cost. Increase intensity or photoperiod and the new growth comes in red, though the existing green leaves stay green.

Do I need CO2 to grow red plants?
Not for this one. Ludwigia is the genus people recommend precisely because it colors without injection. CO2 makes it faster and deeper, but it is an upgrade, not a requirement.

How do I make it bushy instead of leggy?
Trim the tops and replant them alongside the parent stems. Each cut stem branches below the cut, so regular trimming doubles the stem count and thickens the group.

Is it the same as Ludwigia Super Red Mini?
No. Super Red Mini is a smaller compact form suited to the midground. Dark Red is the full-size plant, taller and faster, meant for the back of the tank.