Myrmecodia Redstem is a Myrmecodia grown in the trade under this name for its distinctive reddish stem coloring. Myrmecodia is one of five true ant-plant genera in the coffee family (Rubiaceae), alongside Hydnophytum, Anthorrhiza, Myrmephytum, and Squamellaria — all epiphytic myrmecophytes whose swollen, tunnel-riddled stems house ant colonies in a genuine mutualistic partnership.
Note: as a freshly imported bare-root plant, this specimen typically arrives with just a few leaves — the photo shows a more mature, fuller specimen for reference.
Care tip: This species is genuinely quick to shed leaves if it dries out or gets cold — keep it consistently warm and never let the substrate go bone dry, even briefly.
Give it bright light with some protection from harsh midday sun, high humidity, and warm temperatures year-round. An open, orchid-style substrate — sphagnum moss, chopped bark, and perlite — works well, or the plant can be mounted on cork bark given consistently high humidity. Roots are brittle, so handle repotting carefully.
No ants are required for successful cultivation — the plant grows perfectly well without tenants, though its remarkable ant-housing biology remains the real draw for collectors of unusual caudiciform and epiphytic plants.
| Difficulty | Advanced |
| Light | Bright light; protect from harsh midday sun |
| Humidity | 70%+ |
| Watering | Water when mix is just barely dry; never let it dry out fully |
| Temperature | 70-86F (21-30C); avoid cold |
| Soil | Open orchid mix: sphagnum, fir bark, perlite; or mount on cork |
| Fertilizer | Very diluted fertilizer sparingly during active growth |
| Origin | New Guinea |
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