Bucephalandra - an easy plant to grow?

**illumbomb** · 9th May 2010, 10:25

Hi, my friend recommended me to try cultivating an aquatic Aroid called Bucephalandra found endemic in Borneo. Photographs of such plants are attached below for your reference:

The plants seemed to be similar to Anubias, easy and hardy to grow and can be tied onto driftwood. Anyone has any experience with these plants?

These plants grow along rocky and sandy rivers banks in the nature with changing water levels throughout the year (i.e. sometimes emersed and sometimes submersed). Can they be grown totally submersed throughout the year in planted tanks instead? Apparently these plants are quite popular in Japan now. Thanks.

**Vadim** · 9th May 2010, 13:24

Unique plants, grow well and reproduce in an aquarium, a very diverse genus from micro to medium size. On the driftwood and in the soil, some can be used as foreground plants. The growth rate of some of them comparable with Anubias barteri nana.

**illumbomb** · 9th May 2010, 15:22

Thanks for the tips Vadim. I have attached some photographs I took in my post above for ease of reference.

I presume they can be considered as low maintenance plants like Anubias and do not really need high lights and C02?

They don't seemed to be a popular aquatic plants as I can't seemed to find much information on clutivation of these plants in the regular aquatic plant books and websites?

**ranmasatome** · 9th May 2010, 16:26

endemic plants to borneo??

**TS168** · 9th May 2010, 16:41

hi illumbomb, i try before, very hardy and i do feel it a good option for vivarium.
as for submerse, it grow slow. i think you might need to convert it after sometime before it will start to start growing.
Good luck in growing.

**StanChung** · 9th May 2010, 17:16

I got one species of them[1st pic] and it does look nice and the size difference between the emersed and submersed version is very big! The submersed version looks good on branches.
I think it has potential for aquascaping-something other than anubias! Especially those who like to keep plants from a region ala biotope.

**Wackytpt** · 9th May 2010, 17:36

These buggers grow big.

Right stan =)

**StanChung** · 9th May 2010, 18:17

LOL- How's your big emersed ones? The ones you gave me are in my plant holding tanks.
I haven't seen them in awhile since I'm not home. They're fairly easy I think. As easy as anubias.

There's still lots of plants out there for the hobby. Thank goodness for that or I'll be quitting real quick!

**Vadim** · 9th May 2010, 22:41

[QUOTE=illumbomb;537029] QUOTE]
Hi, thanks for the photo. Really new and rare plants. Anubiases also love the high light and CO2.
Some photos of my plants

**shrimppaste** · 10th May 2010, 00:51

I think I saw a few bags for sale at C328. Selling at if I rememebre correctly $18 per bag.

**illumbomb** · 21st May 2010, 07:08

Found this japanese blog featuring a lot of bucephalandra, this is one example among the many posting (refer to the bucephalandra category on the left side of his blog)

**Royston** · 21st May 2010, 11:03

Wow they look really nice in different shades of green.

**illumbomb** · 8th Nov 2011, 23:11

I saw recently at C328 pots of plants named as bucephalandra selling at $4 per pot, my personal view is that those plants looked more like baby piptospatha than bucephalandra so review and decide for yourself before buying......

**limz_777** · 9th Nov 2011, 17:23

nice heads up , are you still cultivating bucephalandra ?

**illumbomb** · 1st Apr 2012, 10:53

Nope I am not cultivating them now. I am still more interested in Cryptocoryne although I have seen many of these Bucephalandra specimens. The differences in the appearance of the leaves and spathes of Bucephalandra are less distinctive as compared to Cryptocoryne which is why I am not too captivated by Bucephalandra yet...