Ludwigia Super Red care guide
Ludwigia Super Red (Ludwigia palustris 'Super Red') — high light, 20-28 °C, pH 6-7.5, CO2 recommended.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Ludwigia Super Red (Ludwigia palustris 'Super Red') is an aquatic plant of the family Onagraceae, listed in the Aquairi knowledge base as an intermediate-level species. It is typically grown under high light with pressurised CO2 injection on nutrient-rich aquasoil. A selectively cultivated variety of Ludwigia palustris that maintains an intense deep-red coloration throughout the entire plant. Requires high light and benefits from CO2 injection to develop its signature vivid crimson leaves.
Taxonomy
- Family: Onagraceae
- Genus: Ludwigia
- Scientific name: Ludwigia palustris 'Super Red'
- Common synonyms: Ludwigia Mini Super Red
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 cultivated.
Growth requirements
- Lighting: high
- CO2: recommended
- Temperature: 20-28 °C (68-82 °F)
- pH: 6-7.5
- GH: 3-10 °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 high light with pressurised 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 Super Red from Cuttings
Overview
Ludwigia 'Super Red' is a selected red form of Ludwigia palustris, sold under several trade names such as 'mini super red' and Ludwigia sp. 'red' that all refer to the same plant. It is prized for being both easy to grow and intensely red. Because it is a colour-selected cultivar of L. palustris rather than a separate species, it is propagated in exactly the same way as the parent, and its care closely follows that plant.
It is not fussy about water parameters but does need higher light to reach its signature deep red. The plant branches willingly, so a few cuttings quickly become a bushy red group. Like its parent it grows both emersed and submersed, adapting after replanting.
Propagation Method (Cuttings)
Super Red is propagated by cuttings. It branches readily and can be easily replanted and multiplied through the cut-offs. Higher light and the presence of at least some CO2 cause the plant to produce more side shoots and branch out more, building denser bushes after repeated pruning.
Step-by-Step
- Cut the stem at a node some distance below the final height you want the plant to reach.
- Take a top cutting of about 5 to 10 cm and remove the lowest leaves to bare the stem.
- Replant the bare base firmly into nutrient-rich substrate.
- Leave the cut base in the tank so it branches into new side shoots.
- Stagger cutting heights, shorter at the front and taller at the back, to create a slope.
Conditions for Healthy Growth
Strong light is the key to colour: it can grow at lower light such as around 40 umols PAR but needs roughly 70 to 80 umols PAR or more for good red colouration and more side shoots. It can be grown without CO2 injection, yet at least 10 ppm of CO2 improves colour and branching. Well-balanced fertilisation matters, and higher nutrient levels yield more branching and side shoots; reds in particular benefit from iron.
Trimming & Maintenance
Frequent pruning is what builds a dense red bush: each trim removes the leggy top and encourages the base to branch. Cut at a node below your target height, and use the removed tops as new cuttings. Very high PAR tends to push more horizontal and faster growth, so adjust trimming cadence to keep the group compact.
Common Challenges
The most frequent problem is weak colour, which comes from too little light or insufficient nutrients rather than from the cutting itself. Without enough iron and overall fertilisation the deep red dulls toward green. Insufficient CO2 limits branching, leaving thin, sparse stems instead of full bushes.
Ludwigia Super Red is propagated identically to its parent Ludwigia palustris, since it is simply a colour-selected form of that species. Take a healthy top cutting, strip the lower leaves, replant the bare base in rich substrate and let the original base branch into new shoots. The real work is in the conditions: strong light around 70 to 80 umols PAR, at least some CO2, balanced fertilisation and iron are what turn easy-to-grow stems into the vivid crimson bush this plant is known for. Trim often, reuse the tops, and the group thickens with every cycle.