Macrandra's difficulty in miniature. Rotala macrandra 'Mini' carries the same pink-to-red colouring as the full-size plant on leaves a fraction of the size, growing in a compact way that reads almost like an emersed plant even underwater. Leaf shape varies — longish-ovoid with raised margins, or nearly round. It is a high-tech plant and it does not pretend otherwise. What You'll Receive Sold as a bunched plant. Fresh cut, 6+ stems with a lead weight. Pictures are not the actual plants you will receive, but a sample representation. Plant Profile Common name — Mini Macrandra Scientific name — Rotala macrandra 'Mini' Type — Stem plant Placement — Foreground to midground; smaller than the parent species Foliage — Small leaves, longish-ovoid with upturned margins or roundish-ovoid Growth rate — Medium to fast Care Difficulty — Advanced Light — Medium to high CO₂ — Required in practice. Without injection it will not hold colour or form Substrate — Required. Rich nutrient substrate Feeding — Water column and roots; it is a hungry plant Propagation — Cuttings Grower's Notes This is the hardest Rotala in common cultivation, scaled down. Small leaves do not mean an easier plant — mini macrandra wants the same pressurised CO₂, rich substrate and strong light as the full-size form, in less space and with less margin for error. Colour is a light-and-iron response. Under medium light it holds green-pink; under strong light with iron dosing it comes through properly red. CO₂ is what keeps it from melting while you push the light. Plant stems individually, an inch or so apart. Bunched together the lower leaves shade out and the stems go bare from the base. Trim and replant tops rather than waiting for the base to refill. Old lower stems on macrandra rarely recover. It reacts badly to parameter swings. Sharp changes in temperature, CO₂ or water chemistry cause leaf drop within days. New to Rotala? Rotala rotundifolia gives you similar colour with none of the demands. Notes Photos are for reference. Colour, leaf shape and size vary considerably with lighting, CO₂ and nutrients.
