Ludwigia Red
Ludwigia Red
Ludwigia Red is one of the most versatile and beginner-friendly red stem plants in the freshwater aquarium hobby — an adaptable North American Ludwigia that grows fuller and more vividly red under high light while remaining acceptably attractive across a wide range of conditions. Its genuine adaptability to both low-tech and high-tech setups makes it the universally recommended starting point for any aquarist who wants to explore red stem plants.
Care tip: Ludwigia Red grows best in moderate to high lighting with CO₂ optional. Maintain temperatures of 68–82°F and pH 6.0–7.5. Regular liquid fertilization supports healthy growth and best coloration.
Growing to 8 to 20 inches, Ludwigia Red is a natural background plant that benefits from regular trimming to maintain compact, full growth. Under low light it produces more olive-red growth; under high light the leaves become richly red throughout. This color scaling with light quality means the plant always produces some red while rewarding better conditions with increasingly vivid results.
This easy plant is genuinely adaptable — CO₂ is optional and low lighting is tolerated. Temperatures between 68 and 82°F and a pH of 6.0 to 7.5 cover the full range of aquarium conditions. Regular fertilization benefits the plant but is not essential. The broad adaptation range reflected in the chart makes this plant suitable for practically any freshwater aquarium setup.
In the aquascape, Ludwigia Red provides reliable, adaptable red background color that suits both low-tech community tanks and sophisticated planted aquascapes. In low-tech setups it provides the red color that few other species can match without demanding conditions. In high-tech setups it produces increasingly vivid, saturated red that creates powerful color contrast. A truly universal red stem plant.
Ludwigia Red is the foundational red stem plant that belongs in every aquarist's experience. Its adaptability, reliability, and genuine red color across a range of conditions make it the most universally practical red aquarium plant in the hobby.
Care & Specifications
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Placement | Midground to Background |
| Max Height | 8–20 inches |
| Light Level | Moderate to High |
| Temperature | 68–82°F |
| pH | 6.0–7.5 |
| CO2 Needs | Optional |
| Origin | North America |
| Notes | One of the easiest red stem plants in the hobby — adaptable to a wide range of conditions and reliably colorful across a broad light range. Grows fuller and more vividly red under high light, making it equally at home in low-tech community tanks and high-tech planted aquariums. |
