Bucephalandra is a small-leaved genus. 'Giant Broad Leaf' is the exception — wide, thick, paddle-shaped leaves in deep green with a blue-metallic sheen under the right light. It is still a Buce, so it still grows about an inch a year; you are buying leaf size, not speed.
What You'll Receive
Sold as loose bare-root plants:
- 1 Plant: Loose bare-root with approximately 6+ leaves
- 5 Plants: Loose bare-root with approximately 25+ leaves total
- 10 Plants: Loose bare-root with approximately 50+ leaves total
Plant Profile
- Common name — Giant Broad Leaf Buce
- Scientific name — Bucephalandra sp. 'Giant Broad Leaf'
- Also known as — Buce Giant Broad Leaf
- Origin — Borneo, Indonesia
- Placement — Midground, attached to hardscape
- Mature height — 4-6 inches
- Growth rate — Slow
Care
- Difficulty — Beginner
- Light — Low to medium
- CO₂ — Not required, though it speeds an already slow plant
- Water — 72-82°F, pH 6.0-7.5
- Substrate — None needed; tie or glue the rhizome to wood or rock
- Growth habit — Amphibious epiphyte, feeds from roots and water column
- Propagation — Rhizome division
Grower's Notes
- "Giant" means 4 to 6 inches, not enormous. Among Bucephalandra that is genuinely large — most varieties ship around 2-3 inches — but set expectations against the genus, not against a sword plant.
- Expect roughly an inch of growth per year. Broad leaves do not mean fast growth. The plant you receive is close to the plant you will have in six months, which is exactly why it holds a scape's shape without trimming.
- Never bury the rhizome. The horizontal stem must sit in open water, tied or glued to a surface. Buried, it rots — and at this growth rate the loss is not recoverable in a season.
- The blue sheen needs an angle. Metallic iridescence on Buce shows when light strikes the leaf sideways. Mounted flat and viewed from above it simply reads dark green — position it on the side of wood or rock instead.
- Melt after shipping is normal. Leaves may drop in the first fortnight while the rhizome settles. Leave it attached and undisturbed; new growth comes from the rhizome, not the old leaves.
Want to go deeper? Read our complete Bucephalandra Care Guide.
Notes
- Like most Bucephalandra, slight leaf melt may occur after introduction as the plant adjusts to new conditions. This is temporary—new submersed leaves will regrow from the rhizome once the plant stabilizes.
- 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 praised this aquatic plant for being "beautiful and healthy" with "great root development." Reviews highlight the extensive root systems, vibrant color, and ability to thrive in low-tech tanks. Most shipments arrived in excellent condition. One customer experienced some melting, though noted prompt refunds.
- Super nice with great color and super healthy. Large rhizome with good root development and zero melt.
- My favorite plant in my aquarium. Started to BLOOM within a week or two of planting!
- Large with well developed root systems. These are survivors!
J
All the plants were in great shape! I love Buce, and the buy 2 get 1 deal is too good to pass up. The items shipped quickly, and even though usps delays are common, the plants were packaged well and didn'tp suffer. When I decided to rescape one of our tanks, I knew I would get peace of mind from getting APF plants.
F
This plant is super nice with great color and is super healthy. Can’t wait to watch this grow. This plant has a very large rhizome with good root development and zero melt. I am very pleased with this purchase.
R
Another beautiful order! This one was much larger than anticipated, and it looks incredibly healthy for enduring several days in the summer heat in transit. I couldn't be happier! Thank you APF!
B
My order came 2 days earlier than expected and the plants were in excellent condition. They were large with large, well developed root systems. I've had orders from other sellers arrive with small plants having an underdeveloped root system - they seldom survived. These are suvivors!
A
All leaves were healthy and green. Removed easily from pots. No nasty smell like I had with another company. They planted beautifully and are doing well.
A
Bought 2 bucephalandra giant for $15 each during the Buy 2 Get 1 Free promotion, and I'm super happy with them! The size of the pots was larger than expected, which was an awesome surprise. They handled shipping like champions and arrived in perfect shape. I've been quarantining them since their arrival 2 weeks ago but have noticed no problems or hitchhikers. Would absolutely recommend APF for this buce!
J
This was the one of many that I Have ordered that I was most happy with. I has a rich dark green leaf with a strong stem. Arrived very health and looks great!
E
I am satisfied with this purchase. I received three plants, shown in the pictures.
K
Leaves and roots arrived healthy and look nice in the tank!
L
Beautiful and healthy! Love it.
A
Thank you for the great and healthy plant.
R
Nice plant🌱🌱👍
C
Bucephalandra Giant
K
I have stocked 4 aquariums with many orders entirely from aquarium plants factory. I’m always a happy returning customer. This buce was the only plant I’ve ever had a negative experience with. 3/6 portions arrived dead and slimy. The other 3 portions had a lot of leaves melt.
However, I was promptly refunded for the plants. Maybe I just have bad luck with buce and yours will flourish. Leaving the review at 5 stars because APF’s customer service is wonderful.
G
Love this plant. The color blue brings out the greens in my swords. Under my LED, the detail on the leaf surface is visible and interesting. The pots that I received had 11 leaves each with new growth. The one I planted in substrate had developed roots and is quite healthy. I look forward to watching them grow. Mine are shorter than the picture with the hand. I will order from APF again. Every part of the purchase experience was pleasant.
E
These were so healthy and happy when they arrived. Beautiful addition to our tank.
P
The plant arrived looking very good, with an extensive root system. The color, which may be normal, of the leaves is a grayish-green instead of the pictures that look more robust evergreen blue-green. I'm a first time buyer, so the plant root system is A+, the color just not as expected but I assume it's normal. Kylie Santo's picture in the review looks like the color of my plant, as opposed to Elizabeth C's picture. Packaging for shipping was very good!
J
Great root structure!
j
The plants looked great and healthy.
👍
R
Plant is really healthy couldnt ask for a better plant looks like it has been established in my tank for months bit just got it.
K
Probably my favorite plant in my aquarium. Can't wait to see it grow up. It's constantly pearling in my very low tech tank and started to BLOOM within a week or two of planting!
A
Plant was a bit smaller than what was pictured, but it arrived on time and in great health. Looks great in my 20 gallon hex tank!
C
nice healthy plants
s
It will take some time before mine are the size in the picture. That said; Very happy with the healthy plants that arrived. New variety for me. :)
S
How tall does this plant grow?
Bucephalandra Giant Broad Leaf is a slow-growing epiphyte, so it stays fairly low-profile overall - it won't grow tall like a stem plant. What makes it special is its leaf size - it has some of the widest, paddle-shaped leaves in the Bucephalandra family, giving it a bold, eye-catching look even though the plant itself stays compact. It attaches to driftwood or rock rather than growing in substrate, so it works great as a midground or background showpiece.
D
How big do these get?
Bucephalandra Giant Broad Leaf is a slow-growing epiphyte, so overall it stays fairly compact and won't take over a tank. What makes it special is its leaf size - it has some of the widest, paddle-shaped leaves in the Bucephalandra family, giving it a bold, eye-catching look even at a modest size. It attaches to driftwood or rock rather than growing in substrate, so it works great as a midground or background showpiece.
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