An earthy Crypt that stays small. Cryptocoryne lutea grows narrow, slightly wavy leaves in olive-green to brown on a compact upright rosette — muted, natural tones that sit well against driftwood and stone rather than competing with them. Native to Sri Lanka and one of the more reliable species in the genus. This is the sterile Vitro Culture® format.
What You’ll Receive
One 4-inch sealed Vitro Culture® bag containing healthy Cryptocoryne lutea plantlets—ready to rinse, acclimate, and plant in your aquarium.
Plant Profile
- Common name — Crypt Lutea
- Scientific name — Cryptocoryne lutea
- Origin — Sri Lanka
- Placement — Foreground to midground
- Mature height — 2–4 in
- Growth rate — Slow
Care
- Difficulty — Beginner
- Light — Low to medium. Intense light is not needed
- CO₂ — Not required
- Water — 72–82°F · pH 6.5–7.5. Hard water suits it, as it does most Crypts
- Substrate — Required. Root feeder — nutrient substrate or root tabs
- Growth habit — Amphibious. Also grows emersed
- Propagation — Substrate runners
Grower’s Notes
- Muted is the point. Bright green and red plants fight each other for attention. Lutea's olive-brown tones do the opposite — they recede and make hardscape and colored plants read more strongly. Useful in biotope and nature-style layouts.
- Expect melt after planting. Crypts drop their leaves on a change of conditions and rebuild from the roots over two to four weeks. Leave them alone.
- Place it once. Every move triggers another melt.
- It spreads slowly by runners — give it a season and one plant becomes a small group.
- Rinse the gel off completely before planting or it clouds water and feeds algae early on.
Want to go deeper? Read our complete Cryptocoryne Care Guide.
Notes
- Photos are sample representations. Actual leaf color and size may vary depending on lighting, nutrients, and aquarium conditions. Some melting may occur when transitioning from tissue culture to submerged growth, followed by regrowth under stable 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 this aquarium plant for arriving "super healthy" with excellent quality and quantity. Most shoppers found plants adapt well to tanks with minimal melt. One customer noted difficulty removing gel from culture cup roots and challenges planting due to small root systems, causing floating issues.
- Plant arrived super healthy looking and was a very nice size.
- Arrived promptly and in perfect health in a plastic cup with a replaceable lid.
- Good quality and quantity.
B
Plant arrived super healthy looking and was a very nice size. I was able to split it into several sections.
R
Arrived perfect and fast
P
Plant was healthy and is taking really well to my tank, description is perfect.
L
All plants came healthy...my favorite go site for aquarium plants.
J
These got caught up in shipping with USPS (not APFs fault) and they arrived lookin just fine and have done well.
Good quality and quantity.
Not much more to say
J
Tons of adorable tiny crypts, arrived promptly and in perfect health in a plastic cup with a replaceable lid. I expected to see some melt and the growth of new leaves to adapt to its new environment, but it's holding steady. Recommend.
J
This is my first time ordering plants so I wasn’t quite sure what the culture cup was. Last time I will ever order a culture cup because the gel that was on the roots is impossible to get off and they were impossible to keep in the gravel because they had very small roots. I fought with it for over an hour and then just gave up. Hopefully it will still grow and do well and fill in despite all of the roots not being completely down in the gravel. And hopefully they stay put and don’t keep floating out.
R
it's doing good so far... No melt!!
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