Propagating Bucephalandra 'Mini Coin'

How to propagate the tiny round-leaved Bucephalandra 'Mini Coin' by rhizome division, fix it to hardscape, and recover from buce melt without ever burying the rhizome.

Overview

Bucephalandra is an Araceae genus endemic to Borneo, where its species grow as rheophytes over stones and rocks in streams and rivers, forming dense mats from creeping, rooting stems. The 'Mini Coin' cultivar is one of the smallest, with tiny round coin-shaped leaves only a few millimetres across, making it ideal for nano tanks and fine detail in advanced aquascapes.

'Mini Coin' grows from a horizontal rhizome and behaves as an epiphyte, attached to wood or rock rather than planted. Its minute leaves and very slow growth make it a collector's plant that rewards careful, patient propagation.

Propagation Method (Rhizome Division)

'Mini Coin' is multiplied by dividing the rhizome vegetatively. Each piece must keep its leaves and roots so it can re-root after being attached to hardscape. Because the plant is so small, look closely for the natural bends where clumps separate and cut there.

Each division retains a piece of rhizome with leaves and roots.
Cut at the natural bends between clumps.
Fix the pieces to rock or wood, where they continue to grow.

Step-by-Step

Remove the parent plant and locate the small clumps on the rhizome.
With clean, sharp scissors cut the rhizome into two pieces, each carrying leaves and roots.
Attach each piece to a small rock or piece of driftwood with thread or super glue gel.
Apply only a little glue to avoid smothering the delicate rhizome.
Keep the pieces under low to medium light and wait patiently for new shoots.

Conditions for Healthy Growth

Light: low to medium; high light mostly encourages algae on the slow, tiny leaves.
CO2: not required, though it can speed growth.
Temperature: about 21-28 C (70-82 F).
pH: around 6-8.

Maintenance

Once fixed, 'Mini Coin' asks for little. Let the roots grip the hardscape, gently remove damaged leaves, and avoid disturbing the rhizome. Stored rhizome nutrients keep new growth coming even when a fragment looks sparse.

Common Challenges

The remaining challenge is its pace: with very slow growth and tiny leaves, fresh divisions take months to fill out, so leave them undisturbed while they settle in.