Alternanthera Lilacina

29 reviews
Sale price
$8.99
Regular price
$9.99
You save
10%

Emersed Growth: Fresh-cut Plants

In stock and ready for shipping
Alternanthera Lilacina APF Aquarium Plants Factory® Red Plants

Alternanthera Lilacina

Emersed Growth: Fresh-cut Plants

Sale price
$8.99
Regular price
$9.99

Want two colors from one plant? Alternanthera reineckii 'Lilacina' carries light pink to red on the upper leaf and violet-purple underneath, so the stand shifts color as leaves catch the light at different angles. It is a Dutch-style staple for exactly that reason.

What You’ll Receive

  • Sold as loose Fresh-cut plants, Bunched plants, or Potted plants
  • Fresh-cut plants | Approx. 6 stems, loose fresh-cut stems without root
  • Bunched plants | Approx. 6 fresh-cut stems without root, bundled with foam, and plant's weight
  • Potted plants | Approx. 6 fresh-cut stems without root, potted with net pot and rockwool

Plant Profile

  • Common name — Purple Scarlet Temple, also known as Alternanthera Purple Lila
  • Scientific nameAlternanthera reineckii 'Lilacina'
  • Also known asA. reineckii 'Burgunderrot', Telanthera Lilacina
  • Origin — South America (species range)
  • Placement — Foreground to midground, kept low by trimming
  • Shipped size — Approx. 6 fresh-cut stems, roughly 4-8 in
  • Mature height — 8–16 in untrimmed
  • Suits — 10 gallons and up
  • Growth rate — Medium

Care

  • Difficulty — Intermediate
  • Light — Medium to high. It holds color better in moderate light than most red plants
  • CO₂ — Recommended, not required
  • Water — 72–82°F · pH 6.0–7.5
  • Substrate — Required. Root and water column feeder
  • Growth habit — Amphibious. Also grows emersed
  • Propagation — Cuttings — trim and replant stem tops

Grower’s Notes

  • It keeps its color in moderate light. Most red stem plants go olive-green without high output lighting. Lilacina holds its pink and purple further down the light scale, which makes it one of the few realistic color plants for a mid-tech tank.
  • The purple undersides are half the effect. Plant it where the leaves are viewed from slightly below or side-on rather than straight down.
  • Trim regularly and replant the tops. Topping forces branching, which is what turns a few stems into a dense block of color.
  • Root tabs help. It draws from both roots and water column, but the color deepens noticeably in a nutrient substrate with iron available.
  • Also available as sterile Lilacina Vitro Culture.

Want to go deeper? Read our complete Alternanthera Care Guide.

Notes

  • Pictures are not the actual plants you will receive, but a sample representation. Unless specific, we don't guarantee aquatic plants will be free of pests, and pesticides, grow emerged or submerge.
  • Never release aquarium plants into natural waterways.

 

Shipping Policy

At Aquarium Plants Factory, we carefully package and ship all orders to ensure plants and livestock arrive healthy and ready to thrive.


Order Processing Time

Most orders are processed within 1–2 business days after payment is received.

Orders placed on weekends or holidays will be processed on the next business day.

Orders containing out-of-stock, pre-order, or backorder items may require additional handling time.

Once your order ships, tracking information will be sent to your email.


Shipping Schedule

Live Plants

Live plant orders ship Monday through Saturday when using United States Postal Service (USPS).

Most plant-only orders ship within 1–3 business days, excluding products that are out of stock, pre-order, or backorder.

Estimated USPS delivery time is 2–5 business days, depending on your location.


UPS Express Shipping

We offer the following UPS expedited shipping options:

UPS 2-Day Air®

Estimated delivery: 2 business days

Please note that UPS 2-Day Air® is not a guaranteed service in the event of carrier delays, weather disruptions, or operational issues.

UPS Next Day Air®

Estimated delivery: 1 business day

This service is guaranteed by UPS according to their service guarantee policies.

UPS expedited orders ship Monday through Wednesday only to ensure packages arrive within the same week and avoid weekend delays.

Please note that orders require 1–2 business days of handling time before shipment.

To help ensure same-week delivery, please place UPS orders on or before Tuesday at 6:00 AM Pacific Time (PT).


Live Animals Shipping

Live animal orders ship Monday through Wednesday only.

This schedule ensures animals arrive within the same week and do not remain in transit over the weekend.

Handling time for live animal orders typically ranges from 1–5 business days, depending on:

  • Weather conditions

  • Livestock health

  • Shipping destination

Tracking information will be emailed once the order has been shipped.


Free Shipping

We offer Free Shipping on eligible orders over $150 within the contiguous United States.

Estimated delivery time for free shipping orders is 2–5 business days.

If your order contains both live plants and live animals, the shipment may be combined and the appropriate shipping rate will be shown at checkout.

Free Shipping is not available for customers located in:

  • Alaska

  • Hawaii

  • Puerto Rico

  • Guam

  • U.S. Virgin Islands

Customers in these locations must select Expedited or Express shipping options at checkout.


Delivery Time Estimates

Delivery times shown at checkout are estimates provided by the shipping carrier.

While we work hard to ship orders quickly, delivery times may vary due to factors outside of our control, including:

  • Weather conditions

  • Carrier delays

  • High shipping volumes

  • Transportation disruptions

Aquarium Plants Factory is not responsible for shipping delays caused by the carrier.


Delayed or Lost Packages

Occasionally, shipments may take longer than expected.

A package is considered lost only after 15 business days (approximately 3 weeks) from the ship date.

If a package is confirmed lost by the carrier, we may offer a 50/50 replacement, meaning:

  • Aquarium Plants Factory covers 50% of the replacement cost

  • The customer covers 50% plus shipping


Address Accuracy

Customers are responsible for providing a complete and accurate shipping address when placing an order.

Please ensure that your address is correct when using payment methods such as:

  • Credit / Debit Card

  • PayPal

  • Apple Pay

  • Google Pay

  • Amazon Pay

  • Shopify Pay

  • AliPay

Orders returned due to:

  • Incorrect address

  • Refused delivery

  • Failed delivery attempts

may not be eligible for a refund.


Order Cancellations

If you need to cancel an order, please contact us as soon as possible.

Orders can only be canceled before they have been shipped.

Once an order has been shipped, it can no longer be canceled.


Returns

Due to the sensitive nature of live goods, all sales are final.

We do not accept returns or exchanges for:

  • Live plants

  • Live animals


For any shipping questions, please contact us before placing your order.

Aquarium Plants Factory
https://www.AquariumPlantsFactory.com

What We Guarantee

24-Hour Live Arrival Guarantee — We guarantee that live plants and live aquatic animals will arrive alive. In the rare case of a Dead on Arrival (DOA), you must notify us within 24 hours of the delivery time recorded on the carrier's official tracking page. The guarantee is void after that 24-hour window, as condition can no longer be attributed to transit.

How to Submit a Claim

  1. Take at least 2 clear, well-lit photos of the affected items in their original, unopened, sealed packaging, plus a photo of the shipping label on the box.
  2. Email your photos and order number to hello@aquariumplantsfactory.com within 24 hours of delivery.
  3. Do not photograph plants or animals after they have been unpacked, planted, or introduced to your aquarium — once an item enters your aquarium's ecosystem, it is no longer covered.

Approved claims are resolved with a replacement, store credit, or refund at our discretion, under the terms of our Refund Policy. Each item is eligible for one replacement only — replacements are final and we cannot replace a replacement.

Conditions That Void the Guarantee

  • Incorrect or incomplete shipping address (vacant address, missing apartment number, or any issue that prevents delivery)
  • Packages marked "invalid address," "undeliverable," refused, or returned to sender
  • Packages left unclaimed, held at a carrier facility at the customer's request, or not retrieved promptly after delivery — live goods must be brought indoors and unpacked the day they arrive
  • Carrier delays, weather events, or delivery exceptions once the package has left our facility
  • Shipments to freight forwarders or package-forwarding services

Providing accurate, complete shipping information and monitoring your tracking are essential to keeping your guarantee valid.

Please note: the Live Arrival Guarantee covers arrival only. We cannot guarantee ongoing success — aquarium environment, water quality, nutrients, temperature, lighting, filtration, and CO2 all affect long-term results.

What We Can't Guarantee

  1. Pest-free plants (potted & bare-root): Although our plants are grown in our own clean greenhouse, we cannot guarantee they are 100% free of snails, algae, or other hitchhikers. We recommend rinsing and quarantining all plants before adding them to your aquarium. Tissue culture (in vitro) plants are the exception — they are grown in sterile lab conditions, are 100% free of pests, algae, and disease, and have never been in contact with any aquarium.
  2. Pesticide-free plants: We use homemade, organic pest control in our greenhouse and never use copper-based pesticides, which are toxic to invertebrates such as snails, crabs, and shrimp. However, we cannot guarantee plants are entirely pesticide-free — always rinse and quarantine before use in invertebrate tanks.
  3. Your aquarium's success: We are not responsible for your aquarium inhabitants, including fish, shrimp, snails, and turtles. Please quarantine all plants before use.
  4. Growth form: Unless specified, we do not guarantee plants will grow emersed or submersed in your particular setup.

Please review your state's regulations on restricted plants, as we are committed to not shipping plants that are restricted in your area. Do not release any plants into the wild or waterways, as this can harm local ecosystems by introducing invasive species.

Your cooperation in protecting the environment is appreciated. For continuously updated information, refer to the USDA State Noxious Weed list here.

Thank you for your responsible commitment to environmental preservation.

Aquatic plant praised for vibrant purple-red coloring and healthy arrival. Customers said plants were "carefully packaged" and "thriving" in tanks with minimal melt. Works well in low-tech setups. Some isolated shipping damage reported, though customer service typically responsive. Fast growth and strong root development noted.

  • Arrived super healthy and are thriving in tank with no melt or hitchhikers!
  • Beautiful bright purplish red. Customer service was awesome.
  • The color is already striking and it has only been in my tank for a week!
  • 5 stars: 26 (90%)
  • 4 stars: 1 (3%)
  • 3 stars: 0 (0%)
  • 2 stars: 0 (0%)
  • 1 star: 2 (7%)
O
Onety (United States)
Great Plants

The plants arrived in great condition and are beautiful.

C
Chaelea R. (United States)
Arrived cooked

They arrived as part of a larger order and this was the only one damaged. They were practically steamed in bag and smelled vaguely of spinach. Reached out for contact so hopefully I'll get a response soon, I've never had an issue with this company so it's probably a fluke

J
JESSICA Y. (United States)
Beautiful.

All of my plants arrived in perfect condition. All of them are healthy and gorgeous! My Betta is loving his new plants. I highly recommend this shop.

R
R.P. (United States)
My favorite

My plants arrived quickly and healthy. This plant in particular is my favorite out of the selection. It is growing well in my low tech setup, I am using fluval stratum capped with sand and a finnex clip on light.

I
Ivan P. (United States)
Beautiful plant

It’s the stand out plant of my aquarium!

C
Chelsea C. (United States)
Purple!

This is my first stab at purple plants in my high tech tank.
APF never disappoints.

The color is already striking and it has only been in my tank for a week! I fertilize heavily and use CO2. Like I said, I’ve never seen purple in my tank until now and I’m thrilled.

H
Hannah T. (United States)
New Favorite

Arrived super healthy and are thriving in tank with no melt or hitchhikers! All the red plants had awesome coloring as well. This is my new favorite plant store by far, thank you!

C
Carolyn M. (United States)
great

great plant

K
Kristen

They all came in a reasonable time. All were packaged very neatly and all alive and thriving in my tank. They fit along with the other plants very well and my fish live them.

V
Victoria S. (United States)
Beautiful and healthy plant!

Arrived carefully packaged. Had it for a few weeks and no withering. I'm extremely happy with my purchase.

J
John L. (United States)
Beautiful plant

Arrived healthy and looks great in my aquarium

V
Vicky A.H.

Healthy, thriving plants

K
Keith O. (United States)
Aquarium 1

This plant is doing well its taking root nicely and starting to grow.

J
Jaymes (United States)
Don’t buy plants anywhere else

Plants were in great shape. Beautiful bright purplish red. Customer service was awesome. Had a couple of plants arrive damaged, all I had to do was send an email letting them know and action was taken care of immediately! I use to shop at another online store but aquarium factory is my new go to spot.

S
Susan O. (United States)
Alternanthera liacina

Live and vibrant. Excited to watch it grow and enhance my aquariums look!

M
Mark R. (United States)
Alternanthera Lilacina

Beautiful plants, well packaged and delivered quickly

D
Dustin S.

Alternanthera Lilacina

A
Angela

Arrived on time and in good condition

M
Marissa

Arrived falling apart. No response from customer service.

S
Scott

Looks great. Very good experience. Well packaged.

D
David

Healthy rapid growth lots of roots at all leaf unions

I
Isaac

They came in healthy! And vibrant pink/purple colors!

R
Rich

Excellent experience

C
Charlie

Very pretty looks good in my tank

D
Dawn

They are beautiful.

D
Dawn B. (United States)
Beautiful Plants

I buy a lot of aquarium plants. These plants were so nice and clean. I will definitely be purchasing from here again!

T
Tamara S. (United States)
GREAT

Beautiful! Love the color and like the contrast it added to my tank.

J
Jason M. (United States)
PERFECT

The plants i received looked better than in the pictures.. i will be ordering more

M
Michael J. (United States)
Gorgeous plants

Just put them in the other day! Looks very healthy... I hope they settle in. If not it’s definitely my fault. :-)

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Alternanthera Rosanervig Mini is a striking, small-leaved cultivar of the popular Alternanthera family, prized for its vivid pink to red coloration and compact growth habit. Ideal for nano tanks and high-impact foreground to midground layouts, this miniature variety features pronounced pink veining on each leaf, adding a dramatic contrast against green aquatic plants.

Frequently Asked Questions