Looking for pink in a plant that isn't fussy? Bucephalandra 'Pink Malawi' carries a soft rose-to-bronze iridescence that shifts under the light — pink, copper, a hint of violet — on a compact plant that asks for nothing but low light and a piece of wood to sit on.
What You’ll Receive
Sold as loose Bare-Root or Potted plants:
- 1 Bare-Root: Approximately 6+ leaves
- 5 Bare-Root: Approximately 25+ leaves total
- 10 Bare-Root: Approximately 50+ leaves total
- 1 Potted: Approximately 6+ leaves
- 5 Potted: Approximately 25+ leaves total
- 10 Potted: Approximately 50+ leaves total
Plant Profile
- Common name — Pink Malawi Buce
- Scientific name — Bucephalandra sp. 'Pink Malawi'
- Origin — Borneo, Indonesia
- Placement — Foreground to midground, on wood or stone
- Mature height — 2–4 in
- Growth rate — Very slow
Care
- Difficulty — Beginner. Rare to find, easy to keep
- Light — Low to medium; stronger light draws out the pink and bronze
- CO₂ — Not required. It deepens color 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 a good Buce is lost.
- The pink is a lighting response and RGB lighting shows it best. Under warm white light the same plant reads bronze or plain green, which is why photos vary so much between sellers.
- Expect it green on arrival. Color builds over weeks to months of submersed growth — judge it at three months, not on day one.
- 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.
- Minor leaf melt after introduction is normal. New submersed leaves regrow from the rhizome once it settles.
Want to go deeper? Read our complete Bucephalandra Care Guide.
Notes
- Photos are for reference; color intensity and leaf size vary with lighting and tank conditions.
- Never release aquarium plants into natural waterways.
At a glance
- Free shipping on orders of $150 or more (after discounts) within the contiguous United States, by USPS.
- Free thermal protection is included with every shipment, all year round.
- Processing: most orders leave us within 1 to 2 business days. Tracking is emailed when your order ships.
- USPS (2 to 5 business days) ships Monday through Saturday.
- UPS 2nd Day Air® ships Monday through Wednesday. Order by Tuesday at 6:00 AM Pacific Time for same-week delivery.
- UPS Next Day Air® ships Monday through Thursday. Order by Wednesday at 6:00 AM Pacific Time for same-week delivery.
- Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and military addresses ship by USPS at a flat rate shown at checkout.
- Weather holds: during extreme heat or cold we may hold live orders until it's safe to ship.
- We ship within the United States only.
Please bring live plants indoors and unpack them the day they arrive. Every live order is covered by our 24-Hour Live Arrival Guarantee.
The complete rules, including lost packages and address issues, are in our Shipping Policy. If anything conflicts, that policy applies.
Every live order is backed by our 24-Hour Live Arrival Guarantee. If a plant arrives dead, we'll make it right.
How it works
- Tell us within 24 hours of the delivery time on your tracking.
- Send photos of the affected items in their original, unopened packaging, plus a photo of the shipping label, to hello@aquariumplantsfactory.com with your order number.
- We'll make it right with a replacement, store credit or refund for the affected item.
Good to know
- Some melting or yellowing as plants adjust from greenhouse to aquarium life is normal. They regrow from healthy roots and rhizomes.
- Please bring your package indoors and unpack it the day it arrives.
- Free promotional items and shipping charges are not covered.
The complete rules, including what's covered and what voids the guarantee, are in our Returns, Refunds & Live Arrival Guarantee. If anything conflicts, that policy applies.
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 these aquatic plants for arriving healthy with "beautiful colors" and strong roots. Fast delivery and excellent customer service were highlighted. While plants adapt well to tanks, some noted size variations and that pink coloring may take time to develop from initial green shades. Minor concerns included small plant sizes and occasional snails.
- Beautiful colors. Healthy roots and leaves. Fast delivery.
- All plants looked amazing upon arrival. In the tank for a week now and they're doing great.
- Very nice plant. Love the color and texture of the leaves. It's adapting well.
R
I have never before kept any bucephelandra, but I bought one pot of Malawi pink and one loose root of the same plant. I had a few leaves break off in the rinse as well as my tank but I figure this is normal.
The plant itself is beautiful. It's not exactly pink like in the picture. I imagine that there are color variations and/or that it might also change color in my tank because of the lighting. Regardless, it is beautiful. Right now it is simply a light shade of green with subtle hints of pink. It's a nice contrast against the wavy green buce that I also purchased.i guess I'll know more in a month or two. For now, it's pretty damn awesome!
And the shipping and customer service were solid.
A
This order was shipped quickly and arrived on time. Plants arrived healthy even though a couple of the Buce were small. Would recommend APF to others.
M
Beautiful colors. Healthy roots and leaves. Fast delivery. Lots of snails, though, so make sure you clean them!
A
I’m very happy w my plants that came in. They are doing great. They have plants I had not even heard of on other websites. It keeps it interesting for me. I would buy from here again no problem. Package came right on time, too.
j
Bucephalandra Pink Malawi
S
We received all our plants in tip top shape. They are going through the usual stage of "we aren't happy" right now, but I expect them to be colorful and look amazing in no time. Thank you very much not only for the plants, but the check ins after the fact. It's nice to see a company that cares about its customers!
A
Very nice plant. Love the color and texture of the leaves. It’s adapting well
S
all plants looked amazing upon arrival. in the tank for a week now and they're doing great.
C
Good condition plant looks healthy not very big for the price.
J
Awesome plants
J
I purchased 2 of the bareroot Pink Malawi. They came in with rhizome clean and intact, and all leaves perfect + showing new growth. One plant had around 7 leaves and the second plant had closer to 12 and could of easily been divided into 2 plants.
All my leaves were green with one leaf showing some copper color none of the pink color shown in the website photos but I am guessing that's due to the emersed growth, so hopefuly some of the new submerged growth comes out that lovely pink.
Was surprised how long the leaves are. Each leaf is about 1.5+ inch long so I am guessing this variety of buce will be somewhere between a mid/large size variant.
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