Red Limnobium

Red Limnobium is the red-leaved form of Amazon frogbit, and it is the same species as Limnobium laevigatum; the deep colour is an anthocyanin response that shows when the plant sits in strong light. Flowgrow documents the species rather than this particular colour form, so the numbers on the card come from the parent species page. It is a free-floating rosette like a very large duckweed, native to lakes, ponds and slow rivers across Central and South America, and it is far more adaptable than its North American relative Limnobium spongia. It grows in 20 to 27 °C with pH 5 to 8, and it spreads quickly by runners, so a small group can cover the surface of calm water and over-shade the plants below. The undersides of the leaves are spongy, and under very strong light and high humidity short emersed leaves may form. It grows well without any CO₂ and responds well to warm, bright water. Fragmentation and runners multiply it easily. No Flowgrow record documents the red colour form, so this entry is flagged for review: the parameter set is a disclosed assumption taken from the parent species, not a source confirmation of this specific form.