Ludwigia 'Marilia' Care Guide
Ludwigia 'Marilia' is a Brazilian Ludwigia variant with rounded bronze-orange leaves, colouring strongly at the shoot tips under light and CO2.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Ludwigia 'Marilia' is a South American variant of Ludwigia (family Onagraceae) named after Marília in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. The exact species has not been determined, so it is traded as Ludwigia sp. 'Marilia'. It is grown for its rounded leaves that show light green, red and bright orange tones, with the strongest colour concentrated at the shoot tips.
Taxonomy
- Family: Onagraceae
- Genus: Ludwigia
- Scientific name: Ludwigia sp. 'Marilia'
- Common name: Marilia Ludwigia
Origin
The plant originates from the Marília area of São Paulo State, Brazil. Like other Ludwigia, it can be grown both submersed and emersed; emersed growth is more compact and the colours may differ from the submersed form.
Appearance
Submersed, the leaves are rounded and range from green through red to bright orange. Red and orange tones intensify and concentrate in the upper shoots under high light with CO2, making the shoot tips the most colourful part of the plant.
Tank requirements
- Water type: freshwater
- Temperature: 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- pH: 5.5–7.0
- GH: 2–10 °dGH
- Lighting: medium to high
- CO2: recommended for colour and compact growth
- Substrate: nutrient-rich
- Placement: midground to background
It is not considered a particularly finicky plant. Quality substrate, medium to high light, CO2 injection and regular fertilisation support fast, colourful growth. Regular trimming keeps it compact.
Propagation
Propagation is by cuttings: trimmed tops are replanted into the substrate, where they root and continue growing, while the cut stems branch to thicken the group.
Propagating Ludwigia 'Marilia': Cuttings for a Bronze-Orange Stem Plant
Overview
Ludwigia sp. 'Marilia' is a variant of the genus Ludwigia, a group of roughly 82 mostly tropical aquatic plants in the family Onagraceae. Like its relatives it grows as an upright stem, and in the aquarium it is prized for warm bronze-orange leaves on a compact, midground habit.
As a stem plant it is propagated almost exclusively by cuttings: a trimmed top is simply replanted and continues to grow, while the cut base sends out fresh side shoots.
Propagation Method (Cuttings)
Cutting and replanting is both the normal trimming routine and the propagation method. Aquatic stem plants take replanting well and regrow their root systems quickly compared with other plant types, so each healthy top becomes a new plant.
Step-by-Step
- Choose a healthy, well-coloured top shoot of 8-12 cm.
- Cut the stem cleanly at a node, leaving the rooted base in the substrate to re-shoot.
- Strip the leaves from the lowest 2-3 cm of the cutting.
- Plant each cutting deeply into nutrient-rich substrate, spacing stems apart rather than bunching them.
- Stagger cutting heights — shorter at the front, taller at the back — to build a natural slope.
Conditions for Healthy Growth
For Ludwigia, higher light drives both colour and bushiness: around 80 umols PAR or more produces better colouring and more side shoots than low light (about 40 umols PAR). At least some CO2 (10 ppm and up) improves colour and lets the plant branch into denser bushes after repeated pruning.
Balanced fertilisation matters — including iron and micronutrients — because higher nutrient levels result in more branching and side shoots, which in turn gives you more material to propagate.
Trimming & Maintenance
Trim roughly every 10 days. As new shoots appear at the base of cut stems, remove any outlying shoots that do not match the slope of the cluster; over time this produces tidy, dense groups.
Common Challenges
Weak or pale colour usually traces back to too little light, missing CO2, or thin fertilisation rather than to the plant itself. Increase light intensity, add modest CO2, and keep iron and micronutrients balanced to restore the bronze-orange tone.