Physostegia purpurea
The current trend is to find and adapt plants that naturally grow in an airy environment to keep them in aquariums. These plants are quite a large group and usually grow in wetlands and along river banks. Very often, these places get flooded during the rainy season and the plants are completely submerged for a long time. The shrubs can remain in such conditions for several months at a time. Their development slows down considerably, but they do not die. Physostegia purpurea belongs to one of these plants.
Physostegia purpurea is well-adapted to aquatic life as well as to humid conditions in the paludarium. In nature, the shrub reaches a height of up to 1 m, whereas in aquarium conditions it usually does not exceed 25 cm. On the whole, the plant is quite beautiful. The leaves are lanceolate in shape with a rounded tip and blunt base, arranged in a rosette. The root system is very well developed. Due to its relatively large size, it should be planted in the background or in the middle ground if the aquarium is large enough.
The plant is very decorative, its appearance resembles that of an Echinodorus, Cryptocorina and Samolus. This will not go unnoticed.
Keep the Physostegia purpurea preferably in a pot with a small water flow. The plant feels great without any additional fertilizer, but it grows very slowly. If faster growth is required, you need to feed it with CO2. Not only is it faster, it also has a brighter colour.
Water parameters: temperature 22-26° C, hardness dH 1-20°, pH 5.0-7.5.
Sand or a mixture of sand and fine gravel can be used as substrate. The substrate should be heavily silted and rich in nutrients. If the nutrients are insufficient, the plant will lose its lushness and form very small rosettes.
Light intensity from 0.5 W/l. 10-12 hours of daylight per day.
If grown in a moist greenhouse or paludarium, the purple Physostegia purpurea may flower with red-purple flowers.
Reproduction
Physostegia purpurea is propagated by dividing the rhizome. Over time, numerous daughter shoots appear on the mother bush, which are carefully separated from the bush and planted in a new location.
