Propagating Anubias barteri var. nana 'Mini Pinto'

How to propagate the tiny white-marbled Anubias barteri var. nana 'Mini Pinto' by careful rhizome division, never burying the rhizome and giving the slow variegated leaves enough light.

Overview

'Mini Pinto' is a tiny variegated form of Anubias barteri var. nana, one of four recognised varieties of Anubias barteri alongside angustifolia, caladiifolia and glabra. Anubias barteri is a West African Araceae species first described in 1860 from south-eastern Nigeria, Cameroon and Bioko. 'Mini Pinto' has small white-marbled leaves and is a prized collector plant; the heavy white marbling makes it the slowest-growing of these cultivars. Like all the species it is an epiphyte with a rhizome that stays above the substrate, tethered to rocks and wood.

Propagation Method (Rhizome Division)

Anubias barteri can be propagated by dividing the rhizome or by separating side shoots. The rhizome is the thick horizontal stem between the leaves and the roots, and new leaves grow out of it. Because 'Mini Pinto' is so small and slow, divide it sparingly and keep each piece generous, cutting the rhizome into sections that each retain enough leaves and roots to survive.

Step-by-Step

1. Lift the parent plant gently and rinse the rhizome to see the leaf and root spacing.
2. Choose divisions that keep at least three to four leaves each so the small plant has enough reserves.
3. Cut the rhizome cleanly with sharp, sterilised scissors, giving every section its own leaves and roots.
4. Attach each division to driftwood or rock with a tiny line of super glue gel, pressing the roots for about 30 seconds, or tie it with thread until it anchors.
5. Return the divisions with the rhizome fully exposed above the substrate.

Conditions for Healthy Growth

Keep 'Mini Pinto' at 22-28 C (72-82 F). Anubias barteri tolerates a range of lighting; in stronger light leaves grow more quickly and stay compact, and this heavily variegated form needs good light to feed its white leaf areas. No CO2 is required, and it grows well partially or fully submersed.

Maintenance

Once attached, this nano cultivar needs very little intervention. Its small leathery leaves last a long time, so trimming is rare. Remove any melted or rotting leaves at the base and leave new rhizome growth undisturbed while it grips the hardscape.

Common Challenges

• Rhizome rot from burying the rhizome, especially costly on a rare collector plant.
• Extremely slow recovery, the slowest of these cultivars due to heavy white variegation.
• Melting white leaf sections if light is too low.
• Over-division: cutting a tiny plant into too many weak pieces that fail to establish.