This is one of my all time favourite aquatic plants and I'm so pleased that some stock arrived today. Rotala Wallichii is an amazingly versatile plant and I know you will love it as much as me. Originating from South East Asia, it's a well know plant in the hobby and comes from the Lythraceae family.
It's not the easiest plant to grow but don't let that deter you as the plus side to this plant by far out weigh the negative. However I must say that whenever I have grown this plant, I have never found it to be particularly taxing. Rotala Wallichii has very delicate stems and in order for it to stand up right it does need the support of water. The delicate leaves are very attractive and will sway in the current. Give this plant enough light and watch it turn a stunning red colour (in particular the tips). In fact this is probably why some hobbyists find this plant a bit tricky because they use very high lighting in order to change the colour, but then forget to increase their CO2 and fertilisers to suit.
In terms of size, Rotala Wallichii will grow up to about 30cm but I prefer to see it much shorter than this, and treat it like a foreground plant for the best effect. When you trim, you can use cut stems and replant so in no time you will have multiplied this plant. However, I still recommend that you invest in a few pots of this plant at a time to create the desired effect. To make sure this plant really flies (so to speak!) provide CO2 and you will be amazed at the plant growth. The CO2 will also provide the softer water which this plant prefers.
To see our complete range of aquatic plants which all come with a full root structure, please visit our potted plant section on our website.
