Hyptis Lorentziana

Overview: Hyptis Lorentziana is an amazing aquarium plant that belongs to the Lamiaceae family. This plant was imported from Brazil and is now widely spread in South America, specifically from Venezuela to Uruguay and Argentine. It is distributed in the southern parts of the area. In general, Hyptis lorentziana is seen growing on the edges of the ponds, but it is perfectly suitable for growing in an aquarium too. With its dark green leaves that are soft and look attractive, hobbyists are showing keen interest in having it in their tank.

Appearance: Hyptis lorentziana is a beautiful green colored plant that has a tinge of red, purple, and brown color in the leaves, making it unique and highly attractive. Since it attains moderate height, Hyptis lorentziana can be grown as a mid-ground plant. However, in the ponds, it may grow as tall as 2 meters long. When the right water parameters are provided to this plant, the petiolate leaves get deep red color. They grow in pairs along the stem and look beautiful. The lateral shoots are formed in the leaf axils.

Hard/soft plant: Hyptis lorentziana is a stem plant, medium soft in nature. It is a fast grower that can attain full growth within a few days of the plantation.

Ideal water temperature: Temperature within the range of 24 to 28 degrees Celsius is ideal for the growth of Hyptis lorentziana.

Lightening conditions: Strong light with high intensity are essential for the growth of Hyptis lorentziana. At the same time, it requires high carbon dioxide and regular incorporation of fertilizers to get the right and vibrant colors. Along with carbon dioxide, nitrate levels need not be more than 10 to 15 ppm for attaining beautiful colors on the leaves. Additionally, a phosphate level of 1-2ppm should be maintained.

Ideal water pH: pH between 5 to 7 is ideal.

Propagation: For propagating Hyptis lorentziana, all you need is to top the stem with sharp scissors just above a pair of leaves. Make sure that you leave about 3-4 inches of the stem planted in the substrate. New side shoots will start emerging from it. This plant can be replanted easily with an emersed system wherein it is advised to simply let the stems grow out of the water. They are then topped and replanted to obtain furious growth.  

Do you know: Initially, Hyptis lorentziana was hardly known to anyone as an aquarium plant, but the growing popularity has made it pretty common among aquarists. The striking coloration gives an amazing accent, which is why it is used as a mid-ground or foreground plant.