Ludwigia Perennis care guide
Ludwigia Perennis (Ludwigia perennis) — medium light, 22-28 °C, pH 6-7.5, no CO2.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Ludwigia Perennis (Ludwigia perennis) is an aquatic plant of the family Onagraceae, listed in the Aquairi knowledge base as a beginner-level species. It is typically grown under medium light and without obligatory CO2 injection on nutrient-rich aquasoil. A moderate-growing stem plant with attractive green upper leaves and pinkish undersides. Versatile and relatively easy to maintain, it adds subtle color variation without requiring advanced equipment.
Taxonomy
- Family: Onagraceae
- Genus: Ludwigia
- Scientific name: Ludwigia perennis
- Common synonyms: Perennial Ludwigia
Habitat
Ludwigia is a cosmopolitan genus of marsh plants (Onagraceae) that grow in shallow standing water, swamps and ditches across the Americas, Africa and Asia. Many species shift from green emersed growth to vivid red coloration once submersed under bright light. In the Aquairi knowledge base, populations associated with this form are recorded from Asia.
Growth requirements
- Lighting: medium
- CO2: not required
- Temperature: 22-28 °C (72-82 °F)
- pH: 6-7.5
- GH: 3-12 °dGH
- Substrate: nutrient-rich aquasoil
- Maximum height: 30 cm
- Growth rate: medium
- Recommended placement: midground
Placement
A background or midground stem plant. Bright lighting, CO2 and abundant macro and micro nutrients are required to develop and hold the red pigments characteristic of many Ludwigia forms. In the Aquairi knowledge base this form is recommended for the midground under medium light and without obligatory CO2 injection, using nutrient-rich aquasoil.
Propagation
Propagated from cuttings: a healthy tip cutting of 8-10 cm is replanted in the substrate and roots within days. Documented propagation techniques for this entry include: stem cuttings.
Common issues
A switch from intense red to green usually signals a drop in light intensity, iron deficiency or shading by surrounding plants; correcting lighting and macro/micro dosing restores colour.
Propagating Ludwigia perennis: A Cuttings Guide
Overview
Ludwigia perennis is an aquatic stem plant in the genus Ludwigia, family Onagraceae, a cosmopolitan but mainly tropical group of about 82 species of aquatic and wetland plants. Grown submersed it forms slender upright stems with green upper leaves and pinkish undersides, and it grows readily in both fully submerged and partly emersed conditions. Because every healthy stem can become a new plant, cuttings are the fast, reliable way to multiply your stock.
Propagation Method (Cuttings)
Like Ludwigia generally, this species spreads vegetatively with ease: a cut section of stem develops its own roots, while the trimmed parent pushes out side shoots from the leaf nodes below the cut. Topping the tallest stems therefore both propagates the plant and thickens the existing group, turning a single line of stems into a fuller midground stand.
Step-by-Step
- Choose a healthy stem and cut the top 5–10 cm with clean scissors.
- Strip the leaves from the lower 2–3 cm of the cutting so they will not rot in the substrate.
- Plant the bare lower stem 2–3 cm deep into nutrient-rich substrate, spacing cuttings a few centimetres apart.
- Leave the trimmed parent stem in place; within days it sends out side shoots below the cut.
- Keep light and nutrients steady while new roots and shoots establish over the following one to two weeks.
Conditions for Healthy Growth
Ludwigia perennis is undemanding and grows at a medium pace in 22–28 °C water with a pH around 6–7.5. Medium lighting is enough for green growth, but the colour story is light-driven: as with other coloured stem plants, more light over the tank produces more pigment, so brighter conditions deepen the pinkish undersides. CO2 is optional here, though injection encourages denser, bushier branching.
Trimming & Maintenance
Trim roughly every two weeks. Top the stems before they reach the surface, replant the cuttings to fill gaps, and let the bases branch. Regular topping keeps the stand compact and colourful; left untrimmed, lower leaves shade out and the planting thins from the bottom.
Common Challenges
- Pale or all-green growth: usually too little light — raise intensity to bring out the pink undersides.
- Leggy, thin stems: insufficient light or skipped topping; trim more often to force branching.
- Lower-leaf loss: shading from an overgrown canopy — top the plants and thin the group.
- Melting after replanting: normal brief adjustment, especially on stems transitioning from emersed growth.