Hyptis Lorentziana (Purple Mint)

Hyptis lorentziana is an aquarium mint. Deep purple-red leaves in opposite pairs on square stems, from a genus better known for culinary herbs than for aquascapes — and still uncommon enough that most people have never seen it in a tank.

What You'll Receive

Enhance your aquarium with our versatile selection of high-quality aquatic plants, available in three convenient formats:

• Fresh-Cut Plants: Includes approximately 3+ loose, fresh-cut stems without roots. Perfect for flexible planting arrangements.
• Fresh-Cut Bunched: Approximately 3+ fresh-cut stems without roots, bundled with foam and a plant weight for easy placement.
• Fresh-Cut Potted: About 3+ fresh-cut stems without roots, securely potted in a net pot with rockwool, ensuring stability and healthy growth.

Choose the format that best suits your aquascaping needs and create a vibrant, lush underwater environment with our premium aquatic plants.

Plant Profile

• Common name — Purple Mint
• Scientific name — Hyptis lorentziana
• Also known as — formerly circulated as "Hemigraphis traian"
• Family — Lamiaceae, the mint family
• Origin — South America
• Placement — Midground to background
• Mature height — 6-14 inches
• Growth rate — Medium

Care

• Difficulty — Intermediate
• Light — Medium to high
• CO₂ — Recommended
• Water — 68-78°F, pH 6.0-7.0
• Substrate — Nutrient-rich soil or root tabs, plus water column dosing
• Growth habit — Amphibious stem
• Propagation — Cuttings

Grower's Notes

• It was misidentified for years. The plant circulated in the hobby as "Hemigraphis traian" until 2009, when it was correctly placed in Hyptis, in the mint family. Old care advice written under the wrong name is still floating around — worth knowing if you search for it.
• Cut above a leaf pair, not mid-stem. Trim roughly three to four inches above the substrate, directly above a pair of leaves. That is what triggers the lateral shoots that turn one stem into a bush.
• Strong light holds the purple. Under medium light it leans green-bronze. The deep purple-red the plant is bought for needs intensity plus consistent iron dosing.
• It gets big in the wild and stays manageable in a tank. Emersed at a pond margin it reaches two meters; submersed and trimmed it stays in the 6-14 inch range.
• Plant stems individually. Square-stemmed plants rot readily where a bunching band sits. Separate them and space each half an inch apart.

Notes

• Pictures are not the actual plants you will receive, but a sample representation. Unless specific, we don't guarantee aquatic plants will be free of pests, and pesticides, grow emerged, or submerge.
• 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.