Giant hygrophila
Hygrophila corymbosa
Also known asTemple plant · Starhorn · Nomaphila stricta (synonym)
Water parameters
Light and nutrients
Substrate type: any. Propagation: stem cuttings.
Substrate compatibility
| Substrate | pH effect | Nutrient load |
|---|---|---|
| Inert sand (Pool filter sand) | neutral / inert | none |
| Inert gravel (Aquarium gravel) | neutral / inert | none |
| Aquasoil (ADA Amazonia) | lowers pH | very high |
| Mineralized clay substrate (Seachem Fluorite) | neutral / inert | moderate |
| Dirted tank (mineralized topsoil) (DIY soil substrate) | slightly acidic | very high |
With fish
Origin and habitat
A large riparian stem plant of the acanthus family, Acanthaceae, Hygrophila corymbosa, also called temple plant, starhorn or giant hygro and once sold as Nomaphila stricta or N. corymbosa. It is native to Southeast Asia, through Indo-China, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and India, in marshes, ditches, rice paddies and slow waterways. Naturally it grows as an emergent, with thick, woody stems to 50 cm and broad, lance-shaped leaves in opposite pairs, but it survives long spells fully submerged, where the leaves come thinner and lighter green. One of the largest common aquarium stem plants, it carries several trade forms, among them 'Stricta', 'Siamensis', 'Compact' and 'Thailand', and has been in the hobby since the 1960s. Grown emersed it bears scented purple-blue flowers.
Care notes
An easy, fast stem plant for big tanks, where its bulk is in proportion; in a small tank it reaches the surface and shades everything within weeks. It does well in moderate to high light and, unlike the smaller hygrophilas, genuinely rewards CO2 and a nutrient-rich substrate with bigger, darker leaves, though it survives without. Growth is quick, often a foot every couple of months, so trim weekly and replant the tops to propagate, and the cut stems throw side shoots. Plant in groups of three to five with two or three nodes buried, which root fast. Feed it: short of nutrients, especially iron and potassium, the older leaves pit with pinholes and yellow at the edges. It grows emersed easily for open-top tanks and paludariums and flowers purple above the water. Keep it around 22–28°C and pH 6 to 7.5 across a range of hardness. Because it grows so readily emersed, it is usable in aquaponics as an emergent, and it can turn weedy in warm waterways if it escapes, so do not release it. A classic beginner plant for mass and structure.