Leaf colourgreen, red
stem plant background midground
The parrot's feather with red stems, sold for decades as a pond plant before anyone settled what it was. Known only from cultivation, and very fast in a tank.
- Light
- medium–high
- Difficulty
- easy
- Temperature
- 4 – 28 °C
Parameters
Plant typestem plant
Growth ratevery fast
Tolerates lightmedium – high
Carbonate hardness2 – 14 °dKH
Placementbackground, midground
Propagationcuttings
Grows emersedyes
Appearance
Whorls of fine leaves on a distinctly red stem; the above-water shoots are blue-green and strongly water-repellent, like those of the common parrot's feather it was long mistaken for.
Keeping
Easy and very fast: medium to strong light is enough, carbon dioxide is not needed, and it takes up nutrients quickly. Trimming is the whole of its care. It is far better known as a pond plant than as an aquarium one.
Placement
The middle or back of the tank, in a group, and in a garden pond in summer.
Propagation
By cuttings: any piece of stem carries on growing.
Fish and this plant
Water conditions match
The water suits 1008 of 1249 species in the catalogue — these are the ones people look up most often.
Swordtail GuppiesCobra GuppyBlood Red MollyButterflyfishRed Zebra CichlidJulii CorydorasRed-finned ParotocinclusGastromyzon monticolaEgg-shaped GoldfishFlame TetraGardner's KillifishAfrican TetraKenyi CichlidCuckoo CatfishGolden SwordtailHypsolebias picturatusCommon ZaccoLabeo BicolorGambusiaFlying barbGastromyzon scitulusAlbino Zebra DanioGeophagus BrokopondoZebra Mbuna
Will eat this plant
These species damage plants, especially when their diet is short of vegetable food.
Bengal LoachZebra LoachBurmese Border LoachEmperor BotiaSpined LoachMarbled HeadstanderPellegrin's LeporinusLeporinus striatusFalse Black TetraCommon MetynnisMylossoma duriventreRed Whiptail CatfishMolly sphenopsBalloon MollyLyretail MollyMarble MollyHi-Fin PlatyHawaii PlatyBlue PlatyPintail PlatyBlack PlatyChocolate MollyMoonlight GouramiMelanotaenia parva
Will uproot it
These species dig through the substrate and pull rooted plants out.
Marble LoachPeacock EelForktail LoachGuntea LoachLong-nosed LoachHorseface LoachPearlscaleBlack Moor GoldfishShubunkinPainted PlecoFeatherfin SynodontisReddish Mystus CatfishBlue AcaraAulonocara maylandiAulonocara multicolorAulonocara OrchidGeophagus altifronsGeophagus winemilleriPearlscale CichlidPearl CichlidRedbelly CichlidRed-spotted CichlidChuco godmanniHaplochromis philanderRed ChromideJack Dempsey cichlid
Cultivars
The same plant with a different look: light, water and care are shared with the species.
Other varieties: Myriophyllum rubricaule Topf