Chasing genuine purple in a low-tech tank? Brownie Ghost 2011 is one of the few plants that delivers it — lilac and deep purple tones that develop once the plant is submerged, with no CO₂, no high light and no special dosing required.
What You'll Receive
- One sealed 4-inch Vitro Culture® tissue culture bag
- Approximately 4 small plantlets grown in sterile nutrient gel
- 100% free from snails, algae, pesticides and pathogens
- Rinse the gel away and separate the plantlets before planting
Plant Profile
- Common name — Brownie Ghost 2011, Buce 2011
- Scientific name — Bucephalandra sp. 'Brownie Ghost 2011'
- Origin — Borneo Island, Indonesia
- Placement — Foreground to midground, on wood or stone
- Mature height — 2–4 in
- Growth rate — Slow
Care
- Difficulty — Beginner. Rare to buy, easy to keep
- Light — Low to medium. Bright light brings algae it cannot outgrow
- CO₂ — Not required. It deepens colour and speeds growth, nothing more
- Water — 72–82°F · pH 6.0–7.5
- Feeding — Root and water column
- Propagation — Rhizome division
Grower's Notes
- Never bury the rhizome. Roots may sit in substrate; the rhizome cannot. Buried, it rots — the usual way an expensive Buce is lost. Tie or glue it to hardscape with the rhizome exposed.
- It arrives green and colours up slowly. Tissue culture plantlets are grown emersed, and the lilac and purple only develop over weeks to months of submersed growth. Judge the colour at three months, not on day one.
- Expect transitional melt in the first fortnight. The rhizome stays alive and pushes new leaves — don't bin it.
- Rinse the gel off completely and separate the four plantlets before attaching. Sterile media means no snails or algae, so it goes straight into a shrimp tank with no quarantine.
- Farm-raised, not wild-collected. All the Bucephalandra we carry is farm-grown, and much of it is raised from tissue culture rather than collected from Borneo.
Want to go deeper? Read our complete Bucephalandra Care Guide.
Notes
- Photos are for reference. Colour intensity varies with lighting, CO₂ and tank conditions, and growth form changes as the plant transitions from tissue culture to submersed life.
- 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:
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Weather conditions
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Livestock health
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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:
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Alaska
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Hawaii
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Puerto Rico
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Guam
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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:
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Weather conditions
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Carrier delays
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High shipping volumes
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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:
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Aquarium Plants Factory covers 50% of the replacement cost
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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:
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Credit / Debit Card
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PayPal
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Apple Pay
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Google Pay
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Amazon Pay
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Shopify Pay
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AliPay
Orders returned due to:
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Incorrect address
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Refused delivery
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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:
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Live plants
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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
- 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.
- Email your photos and order number to hello@aquariumplantsfactory.com within 24 hours of delivery.
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Your aquarium's success: We are not responsible for your aquarium inhabitants, including fish, shrimp, snails, and turtles. Please quarantine all plants before use.
- 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.
Customers described these tissue culture plants as "gorgeous" and "like little bushes of green and pink" with characteristic bronze/red new growth. The vitro culture arrived healthy with established rhizomes and roots in excellent packaging with gel blocks. Shoppers praised the plants as "the healthiest" they've purchased, growing well in low-tech tanks with stunning coloration.
- These were the healthiest plants I've ever purchased anywhere, and there was tons of it.
- These plants are so cute, like little bushes of green and pink.
- Growing well in my low-tech tank, looks just lovely
N
These plants are so cute, like little bushes of green and pink. New leaves are showing a bronze/red coloration. Not a single dead leaf was found in the plantlings. They arrived with the appearance of image 2 provided on the products page, but with new growth coloration. It has only been two days, but they are not melting. They arrived in gel blocks, which as a researcher, made me happy to see the amount of modern propagation procedures used in these cultures. I cannot wait until they receive their characteristic purple coloration. The packaging was immaculate with a foil covered box and insulation material inside. The plants were packaged inside vacuum seal like plastic bags. I will update this review once they gain their iconic purple coloration.
A
I’m excited to have this in the tank. Looks great on the driftwood. I split 5 plants from the bag.
S
Pictures don’t do this plant justice, the name “brownie ghost” is so fitting for this species when you see it up close and personal. You could have an ultra rare fish in your tank and nobody would care, this bucephalandra will steal the show I am truly just speechless. There’s other reviews of people saying their plants weren’t healthy, or established etc, my experience couldn’t be further than that. These were the healthiest plants I’ve ever purchased anywhere , and there was tons of it.
A
Gorgeous, just gorgeous. Got 4 individual rhizomes from this tissue culture. Can't wait to see the new colored leaves
K
The plants came in excellent shape and there were a bunch of plants in a single order. The price is unmatched as I cant find these for anything less than $20+ per single plant. All my plants came in super healthy and leaves were perfect! Cant wait to order more!
M
Tissue culture came in great shape. Really happy with it.
C
The absolute best looking Culture I’ve ever received from a website. And packaged so well. Will definitely w buying more. This is my go to place now.
T
Looked great
J
Generous portions of healthy plant tissue culture
J
I purchased this when it was first offered and was sent clippings that barely had rhizomes. Needless to say, they died. APF sent me a gift card, but we're sold out. This one is much better. 4 somewhat establshed plantlets. These have rhizomes and roots and none have melted. I'm very happy with them.
J
Growing well in my low-tech tank, looks just lovely
P
Very happy with what I received. They were in great shape and color.
B
Nice and healthy plants
A
Doesn’t look exactly like my friend’s ghost 2011 he’s been growing for years, but upon receiving it it had a beautiful dark color and was extremely healthy. I’m curious to see if the color changes at all in my tank
R
Plants that I received were healthy, packed very well and shipped quickly!
M
Do you ship to Colombia?
Sorry, we only ship within USA at the moment.
j
Hello. I am currently residing in South Korea. Have these plants been tissue-cultured? Additionally, are they sealed? South Korea has strict regulations for plant imports, and I'm wondering if there are documents available to prove that these plants have been tissue-cultured.
Furthermore, we require a phytosanitary certificate from the exporting country. The phytosanitary certificate should include the following statement: 'As a result of the verification of the relevant tissue culture facility (facility name, address) and procedures, it is acknowledged that the plants in this shipment were produced utilizing tissue culture under sterile conditions.'
Hello, we only ship to the USA at the moment.
F
Is this really bucephalandra brownie ghost 2011? Will it develope the deep rich purple colors as it ages?
Yes, this is the genuine Brownie Ghost 2011 line, originally discovered by botanist Peter Boyce on Borneo Island and grown from tissue culture under sterile lab conditions. It's celebrated specifically for developing intense lilac and deep purple hues once grown submerged, so you can absolutely expect that coloration to come through - just keep in mind it's an extremely slow grower, so the deepest purple tones will develop gradually as the plant matures in your tank.
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