Propagating Bacopa Colorata

Propagate Bacopa Colorata, the pink-bronze cultivar of Bacopa caroliniana, by cuttings — and keep its colour with strong light, CO2 and iron. Step-by-step from top to replant.

Overview

Bacopa Colorata is a colour form of Bacopa caroliniana, a perennial creeping herb with thick, succulent, opposite leaves that smell of lemon when crushed. In the parent species the leaves already turn bronze or reddish under high light; Colorata pushes this further toward pink and purple. As a cultivar it is propagated exactly like its parent — by stem cuttings — and each cutting keeps the colour trait.

Propagation Method (Cuttings)

Bacopa caroliniana is propagated through cuttings: cut a length of stem, remove the lowest leaves, and replant it so it roots into the substrate. The trimmed base stays put and branches into side shoots, gradually turning one stem into a group.

Step-by-Step

1. Pick a well-coloured, vigorous stem — colour intensity carries into the cutting.
2. Cut the top 5–10 cm just below a node with clean scissors.
3. Strip the lowest 2–3 cm of leaves to prevent rot in the substrate.
4. Replant the bare stem 2–3 cm deep with space around each cutting.
5. Keep the base — it will send up coloured side shoots from the nodes.

Conditions for Healthy Growth

Bacopa caroliniana grows strongly under good lighting and prefers a nutrient-rich environment. For Colorata the colour depends on intensity: strong light is what drives the leaves bronze, red, then pink-purple, supported by CO2 and iron dosing. Under weak light the cultivar reverts to plain green and grows leggier, so this is a high-tech plant if you want the colour.

Trimming & Maintenance

Trim about every two weeks: top the stems, replant the colourful tips at the front of the group, and let the bases rebranch. The lower, older portions lose colour as they age, so refreshing the bush from its own tips keeps it vivid. Bacopa can also grow emersed with a waxier leaf, but display tanks use the submersed form.