Ludwigia Super Red
Ludwigia palustris 'Super Red'
Also known asLudwigia sp. 'Super Red' · Super red ludwigia · Mini super red
Water parameters
Light and nutrients
Substrate type: nutrient preferred. Propagation: stem cuttings.
Substrate compatibility
| Substrate | pH effect | Nutrient load |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Inert sand (Pool filter sand) | neutral / inert | none |
With fish
Origin and habitat
A nursery-selected form of Ludwigia palustris (family Onagraceae), bred for intense, uniform red colour over the whole plant under strong light; some sources suspect an L. repens x L. palustris hybrid background, and its exact provenance is debated. It is not a wild plant. Under good conditions the leaves, stems and even roots flush vivid red to dark crimson, making it one of the most strongly coloured red stem plants in the hobby. It appeared in aquascaping in the 2010s and is widely sold as tissue culture under names like 'Super Red' and 'Ludwigia sp. red'.
Care notes
More demanding than plain L. palustris or L. repens, but only if you want the full 'Super Red' colour. Strong light, around 60 PAR or more, is essential; under moderate light the red washes out to brownish-green and it looks like ordinary Ludwigia. CO2 at 20 to 30 ppm is strongly recommended, and iron is critical, dosed both in the water column and as iron-rich root tabs. The deepest red comes from the combination of high light, CO2 and iron with only moderate nitrate; push nitrate too high, above about 20 to 25 ppm, and it greens up even under bright light, so keep nitrate nearer 5 to 15 ppm. Plant stems in groups of five or more, trim and replant the tops, and the cuttings root fast. Growth is moderate. Get the high-tech balance right and the uniform crimson is dramatic; get it wrong and it reverts to unremarkable green. Next to Alternanthera reineckii it grows faster and is a touch easier, but it wants more consistent iron. It is an ornamental, not a crop, so it is unsuited to media-bed aquaponics or hydroponics.