Favorite Plant?

[TifNee837]

I am curious to know -- 
What is everyones favorite plant(s)???

 

Even further / deeper, what is your favorite :: 
✧ Root Feeder
✦ Stem Plant
✧ (small) Floating Plant
✦ (bigger) Floating Plant
✧ Pond Plant
✦ Rhizome Plant

 

My OWN favorites are :: 
✧ Swords (**specifically the Echinodorus Frans Stoffels, and Kleiner Bar**)
✦ {3-way-tie} Water Wisteria, Water Sprite, Cabomba
✧ Salvinia Minima
✦ Frogbit
✧ {3-way-tie} ~ Water Hyacinth, Anacharis, Parrots Feather
✦ Anubias Barteri

[Guppysnail]

My answers change with whatever happens to be currently growing best and looking the most spectacular.  I am definitely a fair weather plant friend on this 🤣

What is everyones favorite plant

It was a tie with anacharis elodea densa and Brazilian pennywort but now that I finally got ahold of some that did not die in transport GUPPY GRASS (nana guadalupensis (sp?)) hands down  I can float it anchor it it can be full and bushy or tall and thin  

Even further / deeper, what is your favorite :: 
✧ Root Feeder

Swords of all types with a recently acquired Klien Prinz begging me for special recognition however I also recently got a huge crypt (forgot the name 🤣) that has formally challenged my swords.
✦ Stem Plant

Ludwiga repens broadleaf ALWAYS 🤗
✧ (small) Floating Plant

Duckweek …It does not thrive in any of my tanks so the cute little spangles just look so adorable floating about 
✦ (bigger) Floating Plant

I like frogbit best but it only thrives in 2 of my tanks where salvinia minima thrives in all of them.  It just grows to quick. If I don’t remove clumps daily I fear gas exchange restriction. 
✧ Pond Plant

i don’t have ponds 😢
✦ Rhizome Plant

BUCE …ALL BUCE every type color and variety. 
 

edit add.. you have parrot feathers. I just got some as a whimsy the red dwarf parrot feather. Any tips or tricks to helping it look it’s best?  It seems to like me and looks good. 

Edited July 8, 2022 by Guppysnail

[billango]

Whorled Pennywort/Hydrocotyle Verticilatta is one of my favorites but it doesn't get enough attention! It's like brazilian pennywort but the leaves are fully circular with no ridge. For floating I like crystalwort because it can be so fluffy and moss like. 

[Scapexghost]

Root Feeder: I'm really enjoying microsword rn. A short plant that you can carpet with ebay lights. Very underrated. 

Stem: I like anacharis, it has all the perks of hornwort. Far from the prettiest stem but one of the best nitrate sponges.

Foater: i dunno if water lettuce counts as a big or small floater but its the only floater ive had so it wins by default. Another great nitrate sponge but what i really love is how much in improves fry survival rate.

Pond: I don't have any ponds so I'll but dwarf aquarium lily hear instead. Easiest red plant of not the easiest plant period. Also, its like two plants in one depening if you let the lilies reach the surface.

Rhizone: cant go wrong with any but ill go windelov

[lefty o]

anubia's. easy, and low maintenance.

[JettsPapa]

Crypts because of the large variety of forms.

Pearl weed because it's versatile (it can be planted and let grow tall, trimmed to make a carpet, or floated).

[anewbie]

I'm happy with my Kliener Prinz it is a lot easier to grow than purple aflame and has a decent solid deep red colour. Only real complaint it is not a natural plant but man-made hybrid. 

I really like my nurii rosen crypts - esp in low tech tanks. The ones in hi-tech tend to be prone to algae (higher light level)

Not that happy with most stem plants - too much work long term - most will eventually rot and require recutting. Many of them grow too fast. 

 

Pretty happy with italia and jungle val - fishes love that stuff - great for hiding et all. 

 

In general i'm a big fan of crypts and sword plants - though not amazon sword - kind of boring and the one in my 120 is taking up 1/3 of the tank which is annoying but i have nicer species in there that i prefer.

I'm mix on aponogeton in general due to hibernation behavior but have a special liking for crispus and Boivinianus; just be aware that even in a low tech tank a single Boivinianus can fill a 29  - so over time they can get get quite large.

 

I guess the one plant i like the most is my tiny purple aflame - i've had it for 4 years and it has never gotten larger than an inch but it keeps hanging in there. Every time  a leaf gets damaged it quickly sends up another leaf but other than that growth has been very very slow.  But it is my little kid that i will nurture forever..... 

Edited July 8, 2022 by anewbie

[nabokovfan87]

Root Feeder: Dwarf Hairgrass.  Especially when it's short.  I really appreciate it when there is a uniqueness to the plant and having an underwater lawn is just very unique to me.  It almost always looks good.

Stem: Hm, probably the most difficult one to answer because there is so many options.  Staurogyne Repens and Hygrophilia Pinnatifida are very unique and look really nice to me.  SR reminds me of something like mint plants, very nice. HP is new to me, but I have seen a billion photos and I am looking forward to actually being able to have some around.  Honorable mention, Bacopa, especially when used in a pond.

Floater: Salvinia mini.  It's not as frustrating as duckweed, looks nice, short roots, and it is just easy to manage compared to a lot of other floaters.

Pond: Mosaic plants.  Hands down, they just look awesome.  The only knock on those plants is that they aren't lillies and those flowers are definitely wonderful.

Rhizome:  Anubias, any variety.  Specifically I'll recommend coffeefolia and my second favorite being nana petite.  A second one for this category is this plant, it's very similar to java fern, but a bit broader leaves. It's sold a lot as El Nino fern (Bolbitis Heteroclita).  It's a very unique, fun plant. I had success with it once, removed the thread on the rhizome and then never could get it to grow again.  Very small rhizome!

I'll give you one more....

Carpeting plant:  Easily for me this is Staurogyne Repens

Edited July 9, 2022 by nabokovfan87

[dan12boy]

On 7/8/2022 at 8:16 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

Root Feeder: Dwarf Hairgrass.  Especially when it's short.  I really appreciate it when there is a uniqueness to the plant and having an underwater lawn is just very unique to me.  It almost always looks good.

Stem: Hm, probably the most difficult one to answer because there is so many options.  Staurogyne Repens and Hygrophilia Pinnatifida are very unique and look really nice to me.  SR reminds me of something like mint plants, very nice. HP is new to me, but I have seen a billion photos and I am looking forward to actually being able to have some around.  Honorable mention, Bacopa, especially when used in a pond.

Floater: Salvinia mini.  It's not as frustrating as duckweed, looks nice, short roots, and it is just easy to manage compared to a lot of other floaters.

Pond: Mosaic plants.  Hands down, they just look awesome.  The only knock on those plants is that they aren't lillies and those flowers are definitely wonderful.

Rhizome:  Anubias, any variety.  Specifically I'll recommend coffeefolia and my second favorite being nana petite.  A second one for this category is this plant, it's very similar to java fern, but a bit broader leaves. It's sold a lot as El Nino fern (Bolbitis Heteroclita).  It's a very unique, fun plant. I had success with it once, removed the thread on the rhizome and then never could get it to grow again.  Very small rhizome!

I'll give you one more....

Carpeting plant:  Easily for me this is Staurogyne Repens

Does the Hyogrophilia grow easily? S. Repens looks awesome but seems like a super slow grower. 

[nabokovfan87]

On 7/8/2022 at 7:47 PM, dan12boy said:

Does the Hyogrophilia grow easily? S. Repens looks awesome but seems like a super slow grower. 

I'll let ya know! I just planted it for the first time about 24 hours ago.  We can stare at it in awe though.
 

This might be the same tank, potentially gives you an idea on growth.
 

 

[Odd Duck]

On 7/8/2022 at 6:01 AM, TifNee837 said:

✧ Root Feeder
✦ Stem Plant
✧ (small) Floating Plant
✦ (bigger) Floating Plant
✧ Pond Plant
✦ Rhizome Plant

Overall favorite Anubias nana ‘Golden’

1. Root: Swords in general but more specifically Echinodorus barthii x E. schleuteri ‘Red Flame’

2. Stem: Alternanthera reineckii and I have a love hate relationship.  I would love for it to do better for me but in reality it usually doesn’t.  I do have a start I got from a local guy that was supposed to be AR ‘Mini’ but it grows completely differently from other AR ‘Mini’ that I’ve gotten, and so far, is doing well.  I’m about to trim it and replant the top but I’m scared, 😝 .  It has already branched for me with no trimming.  This ‘Mini’ is now full height in a 20 G high (growing in a pot).  It clearly is not ‘Mini’ but I don’t care one bit because it’s beautiful and it’s an AR that’s growing for me.

3. Floating: Red root floaters (Phyllanthus fluitans).  Also just a bit of a love hate relationship.  It can definitely be a bit of a fidgety plant to get started, it can crash on you if you let it get too crowded, but it’s soooo pretty when it’s doing well.

4. Bigger floater: None are legal in my state so no legit opinion.  Would love to be able to have water hyacinth with their beautiful flowers.

5. Pond: Definitely my dwarf hardy water lily that I’ve had for decades.  Pads only get about 4” across, max.

6. Rhizome: Gotta be crypts.  Crypt. pontederiifolia is currently doing best for me, but I probably have more varieties of crypts than I have of anything else, especially considering I have a 100 G tank full of mostly swords and exclusively South American plants with zero Crypts in it.  I have 6 varieties in my other 100 G to make up for it.  😂  I think I have at least 2 or more varieties of Crypts in over half my tanks.  I used to think they were only root feeders and then I learned they will feed through their leaves, and will even absorb ammonia directly through their leaves.  I thought they were more similar to Vals in basic structure (I knew they weren’t a grass, but thought they were a rosette) until someone pointed out they were actually rhizomatous plants.  Fascinating group with stunning leaf color and shape variation despite their very similar growing structure.

7. (Yes, I added one because not all epiphytes are rhizomatous [Hygrophylla pinnatifida is doing quite well as an epiphyte in my 100 G nano right now]) Epiphyte: My overall favorite fits right here, the Anubias nana ‘Golden’.  As a category, I have more epiphytes than anything else since this lumps Buces, Anubias, ferns, and technically Crypts (since they can also be grown epiphytically, too - soooo versatile!  I’ve had an unidentified Crypt. that’s likely a wendtii ‘Bronze’ floating in one tank for months now - does that counts as a “floater”?) all in together along with the H. pinnatifida already mentioned.  Many (most?) stem plants can also be grown as epiphytes.  Maybe this should be a “miscellaneous” category?  😆 

Good topic @TifNee837!

Edited July 9, 2022 by Odd Duck

[PotatoFish]

1: I haven't tried too many...does pothos count?

 

2: Cabomba. I always found them to be a very pleasing shape and an excellent addition to help with ammonia and fry.

 

3: Duckweed: Might be an oddball, but I really like the way a carpet of duckweed looks on the surface of the water as well as all the dangly roots underneath.

 

4. Dwarf Water Lettuce: I really like the look of the plant roots below the surface, but admittedly, it's annoying to clean up after them if they suddenly shed a bunch of roots.

 

5. Pond Plant: I haven't tried ponds...yet

 

6. Rhizome: All varieties of anubias. I think my favorite is the anubias nana mini. I like the clustering, spacing and size of the leaves.

 

 

[TifNee837]

@Guppysnailwith the parrots feather, I've found that having more nitrates than I usually do, more "open" space, and more and brighter light / sunlight has helped mine TREMENDOUSLY ☺️

[dan12boy]

On 7/9/2022 at 1:23 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

I'll let ya know! I just planted it for the first time about 24 hours ago.  We can stare at it in awe though.
 

This might be the same tank, potentially gives you an idea on growth.
 

 

I hope it grows good for you because it is a stunning plant!

[Solstice_Lacer]

My favorites/things that grow for me: Dwarf sag and micro sword. Hornwort. Duckweed. Pretty much any anubius. Crypt lucens. Crypt wendtii or tropica when they are established (Mine melted but they're coming back)

[anewbie]

On 7/8/2022 at 9:47 PM, dan12boy said:

Does the Hyogrophilia grow easily? S. Repens looks awesome but seems like a super slow grower. 

I'm finding it an annoying plant. It wants to grow emersed so it keeps sending up a single stem the height of the tank (16 inches) and then leaves form at the very top. Not sure how to encourage it to grow submersed since if i cut the one long stem there isn't much left to be submersed... just a stick.

[Patrick_G]

On 7/9/2022 at 8:14 AM, Odd Duck said:

6. Rhizome: Gotta be crypts.

Are Crypts considered rhizome plants? I see roots on mine and they propagate via stolen (runners) but I don’t see new plants growing from a rhizome.🤔

I’m going to summon @OnlyGenusCapson this one. 🙂

[Emrie G]

My favorite is definitely anubias, any variety, but especially the anubias barteri. I have probably six or eight varieties in my tanks and I'm always wanting more. I'm starting to like swords, but my tanks aren't really big enough for them to be impressive. 

[OnlyGenusCaps]

On 7/10/2022 at 3:03 PM, Patrick_G said:

I’m going to summon @OnlyGenusCapson this one. 🙂

Like I am so sort of awful nerdy genie 🧞.  🤣

On 7/10/2022 at 3:03 PM, Patrick_G said:

Are Crypts considered rhizome plants?

There are potentially many forms of vegetative propagation that might occur across the genus.  I've only grown 4 species of the 70+ out there, so I can only speak from my limited experience.  With that caveat, the ones I have grown have given rise to daughter plants via rhizomes.  They've all been thin rhizomes to be sure, like those seen in plants such as Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon), or for perhaps a more PNW example, the exotic Crocosmia found at the edges of forests. 

[nabokovfan87]

On 7/10/2022 at 12:06 PM, anewbie said:

It wants to grow emersed so it keeps sending up a single stem the height of the tank (16 inches) and then leaves form at the very top. Not sure how to encourage it to grow submersed since if i cut the one long stem there isn't much left to be submersed... just a stick.

I think it's a lighting / trim thing.  On one of bentley's talks he discusses how to encourage plants to grow wide vs. tall.  There are even variations in color that you can adjust to encourage certain types of growth. 

https://www.2hraquarist.com/blogs/beginners-planted-tank-101/best_light_spectrum

https://www.2hraquarist.com/blogs/light-3pillars/blue-light-land-aquatic-plants

[Patrick_G]

On 7/10/2022 at 4:48 PM, OnlyGenusCaps said:

the exotic Crocosmia found at the edges of forests. 

 

On 7/10/2022 at 4:48 PM, OnlyGenusCaps said:

Like I am so sort of awful nerdy genie 🧞.  🤣

There are potentially many forms of vegetative propagation that might occur across the genus.  I've only grown 4 species of the 70+ out there, so I can only speak from my limited experience.  With that caveat, the ones I have grown have given rise to daughter plants via rhizomes.  They've all been thin rhizomes to be sure, like those seen in plants such as Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon), or for perhaps a more PNW example, the exotic Crocosmia found at the edges of forests. 

Thanks! I feel up to speed on Crypts. 
 

I’m a bit confused on the Crocosmia though. I’ve grown them for a long time but they have never spread through lateral rhizomes. The clump does grows bigger and generates corms. Are those corms growing on short rhizomes? 

Edited July 11, 2022 by Patrick_G

[lefty o]

On 7/10/2022 at 3:03 PM, Patrick_G said:

Are Crypts considered rhizome plants? I see roots on mine and they propagate via stolen (runners) but I don’t see new plants growing from a rhizome.🤔

I’m going to summon @OnlyGenusCapson this one. 🙂

im no plant genie, but i dont consider crypts a rhizome plant.

[OnlyGenusCaps]

On 7/10/2022 at 8:26 PM, Patrick_G said:

I’m a bit confused on the Crocosmia though. I’ve grown them for a long time but they have never spread through lateral rhizomes. The clump does grows bigger and generates corms. Are those corms growing on short rhizomes?

Interesting.  So, there are many, many hybrids and I've only grown a few species.  With hybrids, of course, you can get all sorts of different growth forms, so I can't say with any certainty about what you have specifically.  The ones I have grown propagated by vegetative means in two ways: 1. via cormus offsets, and 2. via rhizomes which often get called "suckers" like many similar structures. 

Here is a page in what I believe is the most common roadside form in the PNW.  The bottom two photos on the left column are the ones I'll point you to.  The second to last shows the new corm offsets.  The one below it, they are calling "roots" includes a few thicker "roots", which are the rhizomes.  You can see the internodes pretty clearly on the largest one pointing to the right in the photo.  If you severed that and planted it, you'd likely get a new plant, and will get a new corm forming at the end of not also along the nodes. 

Because this plant has invasive potential, I have to suspect that breeders have been working to either shorten the length of the rhizomes, or eliminating them entirely.  It happens in garden plants often to make them more manageable, and easier to create a clean look when planted.  So, it's possible yours does not spread in precisely the same way.  Also, that could make my example not such a hot one.  🤪 

[Patrick_G]

On 7/11/2022 at 4:58 AM, OnlyGenusCaps said:

Because this plant has invasive potential, I have to suspect that breeders have been working to either shorten the length of the rhizomes, or eliminating them entirely.  It happens in garden plants often to make them more manageable, and easier to create a clean look when planted.  So, it's possible yours does not spread in precisely the same way.  Also, that could make my example not such a hot one.  
 

 

[Odd Duck]

On 7/10/2022 at 3:03 PM, Patrick_G said:

Are Crypts considered rhizome plants? I see roots on mine and they propagate via stolen (runners) but I don’t see new plants growing from a rhizome.🤔

I’m going to summon @OnlyGenusCapson this one. 🙂

I didn’t consider them a rhizomatous either, then someone corrected me at some point.  I looked it up and they are.  Maybe it was @Seattle_Aquarist?  I don’t remember who mentioned it but if you do a search for “Cryptocoryne plant parts” the diagrams all show the rhizome.

On 7/10/2022 at 8:50 PM, lefty o said:

im no plant genie, but i dont consider crypts a rhizome plant.

Never crossed my mind that they might be until I got gently schooled.  It does make sense since they for sure runner “underground”.  My crypt pontederiifolia proved that very thoroughly by runnering across my 14 G cube diagonally under the slate where my wood centerpiece is anchored.