About the species

Eriocaulon sp. 'Vietnam' is an Asian rosette plant whose stiff, bright green leaves look like a bundle of pine needles. The rosette builds up from the base and can reach anything from a few centimetres to well over ten, depending on light and nutrition. Like most Eriocaulon it wants soft, slightly acidic water and a nutrient-rich substrate.

Facts

• Latin name: Eriocaulon sp. 'Vietnam'
• Plant type: Rosette plant
• Origin: Asia
• Height: 3–20 cm
• Growth rate: Medium
• Position: Midground

Light requirement

Medium light requirement. Reckon on around 0.5 W per litre or a modern mid-range LED unit. Too little light gives sparse, stretched shoots and pale leaves, while the right amount keeps the plant compact and richly coloured.

CO₂ & nutrition

Added CO₂ is recommended — Tropica reckons 6–14 mg/l as a medium requirement. The plant can be grown without, but then grows more slowly and loses some of its colour. Supplement with liquid fertiliser weekly and keep iron and potassium levels up.

Planting

Plant the root ball in the substrate so the roots are covered but the crown — where the new leaves emerge — sits just above it. Burying the growth point makes the plant rot. Give it plenty of room, since the leaves spread out in a rosette.

Carefully remove the pot and rinse the rock wool off the roots before planting — leftover rock wool can otherwise hinder rooting.

Care & propagation

Cut old outer leaves off at the base once they start to look tired, and the rosette stays fresh. The plant propagates itself with daughter plants from the rootstock; separate them from the mother plant once they have their own roots and a few leaves.

Position in the aquarium

Its height makes it a classic midground plant. It works nicely as the transition between low foreground plants and tall background plants, and looks best in a group or around a piece of wood.

Difficulty level

🟡 Moderate — wants stable lighting and regular fertilisation to look its best.

Delivery format

Delivered as a pot grown submerged, with the roots in rock wool. The pot holds several plants or stems that can be divided and planted separately.

Recommendation

A rewarding little solitaire with a texture quite unlike anything else in the aquarium, at its best with three or four rosettes in a group. Put a few root tabs underneath it — the substrate is where it draws its strength.