Want a plant your fish won't destroy? Crinum calamistratum is one of the very few aquarium plants that large, plant-eating fish generally leave alone — and it happens to be beautiful, growing narrow, deeply corkscrewed dark green leaves from a bulb into a flowing centerpiece.
What You’ll Receive
Available in the following options:
- Loose Bare-root Plants (Normal Size): 1 healthy, loose bare-root Crinum Calamistratum of normal size
- Potted Plants (Normal Size): 1 normal-sized Crinum Calamistratum potted with rockwool and net pot
- Loose Bare-root Plants (Larger Size): 1 larger, mature bare-root Crinum Calamistratum with more developed foliage and bulb
- Potted Plants (Larger Size): 1 larger Crinum Calamistratum potted with rockwool and net pot
Plant Profile
- Common name — African Onion Plant, also known as Crinum Lily
- Scientific name — Crinum calamistratum
- Also known as — Crinum Lily, Onion Plant
- Origin — Central Africa
- Placement — Background or centerpiece
- Shipped size — Bulb with foliage; well short of mature height
- Mature height — 12–24 in
- Suits — 29 gallons and up
- Growth rate — Slow
Care
- Difficulty — Beginner
- Light — Low to medium
- CO₂ — Not required
- Water — 72–82°F · pH 6.5–7.5
- Substrate — Required. Root feeder — nutrient substrate or root tabs
- Growth habit — Fully aquatic. Cannot be grown emersed
- Propagation — Bulb offsets
Grower’s Notes
- Fish generally leave it alone. Crinum foliage is tough and unpalatable, which makes this one of the few realistic plants for cichlid tanks, goldfish tanks and anywhere else that shreds normal planting.
- Bury the roots, not the whole bulb. Plant so roughly the top third of the bulb stays above the substrate line. Fully buried bulbs rot, which is the usual way Crinum is lost.
- Be patient. It is slow to establish and may sit for weeks doing nothing, then grow steadily for years. It is a long-term plant, not a quick fill.
- Don't move it once planted. Crinum resents disturbance and sulks after relocation, sometimes for months.
- Occasional leaf melt or temporary dormancy during the transition is normal. Keep the bulb if it is firm.
Want to go deeper? Read our guide to the Best Background Plants for Your Planted Aquarium.
Notes
- Crinum Calamistratum may take time to adjust to new environments. Occasional leaf melting or temporary dormancy is normal during the transition phase. Be patient — new growth will appear as the plant acclimates.
- 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 this aquatic plant as "healthy" and "beautiful" with "show-stopping beauty." Most received plants in excellent condition that thrive in low-tech setups. Some noted slight browning from shipping delays or slow initial growth. Shoppers appreciated the robust roots, dark green curly leaves, and good value for price.
- Easy-care plant for low tech setup with show-stopping beauty
- This plant came in so healthy and a decent size. Leaves are beautiful
- Very robust with dark green leaves. Quick delivery of good products!
A
healthy, nice plant, this is my third one from AFP, i really like them and they do well in my low tech set-ups
A
Here is another picture. Tank is relatively new. Still a little cloudy when I took Pictures. 180 gallon tank
M
This plant came in so healthy and a decent size. Very excited to see this one mature. Leaves are beautiful 😍. Slight browning on a couple leaves because I live in the middle of nowhere and they were stuck at the post office over the weekend. After removing the dead leaves looks great and still plenty of leaves left. Roots and stem were not affected.
L
So, delivery was slow on these and the box was a torn up mess…but the plants inside were very well wrapped in other packaging. All of the plants look a little worse for wear. The crinum calamistratum is turning tan in the bag but I’m hoping that once they’re planted they will perk back up. Most of it is green still. They’re such a cool looking plant. I’m very excited to get them into my tank and see what they do.
C
My plants arrived in excellent condition. I caught the mail man before he put them in the apartment mailbox in the Florida summer heat. I will definitely buy from this seller again.
J
This thing is fabulous! Great growth on it and a bunch of roots already looking to anchor into the substrate when received. Super happy I got this plant. It looks so good.
J
Received this plant as part of a larger order. All the plants in order arrived in a timely manner and all appear very healthy. The Crinum was of a good size and appears very robust with dark green leaves. I was especially pleased with this plant that is going into an angelfish/tetra tank. I am so pleased with this plant that I will most likely order at least one more for another tank I am in process of setting up. Thanks to the staff at APF for quick delivery of good products!
R
This product was much more than I expected! It came healthy and large. A great deal for the price!
J
Took a chance on these during the holiday sale. So glad I did. They are super healthy with lots of baby leaves coming in.
T
Crinum Calamistratum is an African water onion. When I first decided to setup a tank a few years ago, this was the one plant I was most excited about. It was out of stock at the only plant shop I knew of and I didn't take the time to look for other aquatic plant retailers. Fast forward a few years, I finally took the search engine plunge. I found APF very easily and lo, they had this curly little cutie in stock! So yeah, it took a few years for me to get this, my dream aquarium plant, and it's so much more impressive in person!
The Crinum arrived in beautiful condition: all the leaves were intact and I did not experience any melt at all. This little beauty is thriving in my Dwarf Puffer tank, they love playing with the swirly fronds! If you're looking for an easy-care plant for a low tech setup with show-stopping beauty, this is it.
M
My cc came in a little ziplock and I immediately put him in my tank. Substrate is Amazonia light. It didn’t die but didn’t make a lot of progress either. It is kind of there couple of tentacles seem to have grown a little. I think this plant is super slow to get established. It was a little cooked when it came but that is because it’s summer and I live in hot Midwest. I think it will come around. It sure is cute plant. It gets good circulation, light and nutrition so it’s just matter of time.
A
USPS lost my order for over a week, but they still were super healthy and I love them!
D
If the crinum has a rizome, is there a special way to plant it? I want to purchase one but I need to know how to plant it properly.
Crinum Calamistratum grows from a bulb-like rhizome, so you'll want to plant it with the rhizome mostly buried but the neck/growing point where the leaves emerge left just above the substrate surface - don't bury it completely, since covering the crown can cause it to rot. It's a slow grower, so give it a bit of time to settle in and root before it starts putting out its long, ribbon-like leaves.
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