Ludwigia White (Ludwigia inclinata) - Potted

Ludwigia White (Ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata "Cuba") is one of the only aquarium plants that grows genuinely white. Under strong light with CO2 it throws whorls of narrow, pearlescent cream leaves on green stems, building into a soft, fluffy column that reads almost luminous against darker plants. It is a showpiece, and it asks to be treated like one. Browse the rest of our live freshwater plants to build the tank around it.

Care Guide

• Light: High, and this is the single biggest factor. Strong light is what turns the leaves white. Under medium light you will get pale crowns and green lower growth, which is the most common disappointment with this plant.
• CO2: Pressurized CO2, effectively required. Aim near 30 ppm. Without it the plant survives at best, stays green, and slowly declines.
• Do not use liquid carbon or algaecides. Glutaraldehyde products, including Seachem Excel and most black beard algae treatments, melt this plant far more readily than ordinary stem plants. If you dose liquid carbon in this tank, do not put Ludwigia White in it.
• Fertilizer: A nutrient-rich substrate plus consistent column dosing of macros and micros. Iron matters. Skipped weeks show up as stunted, deformed crowns.
• Stability: It dislikes swings far more than it dislikes any particular value. Steady CO2, steady dosing, steady water changes.
• Trimming: Top the stems and replant the cuttings to build a dense stand. The tops keep the best color, so replant those and discard tired lower sections.

What to Expect From a Potted Plant

This arrives as a potted nursery plant grown emersed, which means the leaves you see now are green and firm rather than white and feathery. Once submerged it drops most of that emersed growth and converts, and the new submersed shoots are where the white color appears. Expect a melt-back period of two to three weeks. That transition is normal for the species but it is also the point where this plant is most easily lost, so have your light, CO2, and dosing already running before you plant it rather than starting them afterward.

Specifications

In the Aquascape

White is a rare color in a planted tank, which is exactly why this plant is worth the trouble. A single stand placed against dark hardscape or in front of deep green stems creates contrast nothing else quite matches, and the fine whorled leaves catch light and flow beautifully. Keep it away from fast, sprawling neighbors that would shade it, since anything blocking light directly costs you the color you bought it for.

Pairs Well With

• Rotala Vietnam H'ra, whose orange and red tops sit beautifully beside the white.
• Hygrophila Pinnatifida for a bronze, textured counterpoint low in the scape.
• Aquaforest AF Micro, the iron and trace dosing this plant genuinely needs.
• Aquaforest AF Macro for the NPK side of a high-tech dosing routine.
• CaribSea PyroFlora Substrate as the nutrient-rich base it wants to root into.

Browse all plant additives and supplements to build a dosing schedule.

FAQ

Can I grow it without CO2?
Realistically, no. It may hang on for a while, but it will stay green, grow poorly, and usually fade out. This is the one plant where we would rather talk you into something else than sell you a stem that is going to fail.

Mine is green, not white. What went wrong?
Almost always light. White coloration is light driven, so if the tank is medium light you will see pale crowns at best. Raise intensity, keep CO2 steady, and watch the new growth rather than the old leaves.

Why did it melt after I planted it?
Emersed grown stems shed their original leaves as they convert to submersed growth, and this species melts harder than most. Leave the stems planted, keep conditions stable, and watch for new shoots from the nodes.

Is it safe with fish and shrimp?
Yes, the plant is non-toxic and shrimp safe. The caution runs the other way: the chemicals people often add for algae are what harm it.

What is an easier white or pale plant?
There is no true substitute for white, but if this is more upkeep than you want, ask us about pale-stemmed alternatives in store and we will point you at something that suits your lighting.