TCulture Anubias Barteri Nana ‘Petite’ (Pot)

Description

The smallest Anubias variety in the trade can be found under two names: Anubias barteri var. nana ‘Petite’ and ‘Bonsai’. Its origins are very much in the dark: according to information given by Dennerle around the year 1997, the plant originates from Cameroun, according to the Tropica plant catalogue, this variety is based on a mutation that occured in the plant nursery “Oriental Aquaria” in Singapore (Kasselmann 2010). Whereas it is almost identical to Anubias barteri var. nana, its small size and slower growth is often given as a reason for higher prices.

Contrary to the opinion of some dealers the leaf blade of ‘Petite’ respectively ‘Bonsai’ may grow larger than 1 cm. However, it stays smaller than its ancestral form, Anubias barteri var. nana, anyway. Like the latter, ‘Petite’ is very hardy and has been called “growing plastic plant”. (read more)

Complete botanical name

Anúbias bárteri var. nána (Engler) Crusio

Family
Araceae

Genus
Anubias

Difficulty
very easy

Colour
light green, medium green, dark green

Texture
kleinblättrig

Usage
Epiphyte (growing on hardscape), Cichlid proof plant, Midground, Nano tanks, Foreground, group

Height
3 – 6cm

Width
5 – 20cm

Growth
slow

pH value
5 – 8

Temperature tolerance
12 – 30°C

Carbonate hardness
0 – 21°dKH

General hardness
0 – 30°dGH

Propagation
Rhizomteilung, Splitting, cutting off daughter plants

Can grow emersed?
yes

TCulture Anubias barteri nana ‘Petite’ (Pot) in Singapore

This potted Petite gives you the smallest Anubias in the hobby already established and rooted in rockwool, ready to rinse and mount. It is the same tiny, slow-growing gem that aquascapers prize for foreground and crevice planting, with a documented link back to a nursery in Singapore, which makes it a fitting plant for local tanks. Tease the roots free of the rockwool, then glue or tie the little rhizome onto pebbles or driftwood rather than burying it in substrate.

For HDB and nano keepers it is close to ideal: undemanding of light, happy in our soft, lightly acidic tap water, and needing no CO2. The only thing to manage is its very slow growth, which in our warm 27-29C tanks gives algae a long window to settle on the miniature leaves, so keep moderate light and steady flow over the plant. Used in numbers, Petite creates a beautifully detailed carpet-like effect across hardscape.

Browse the full epiphytes collection. Our Nana vs Petite comparison helps you choose, and our Petite propagation guide shows how to multiply it across your scape.