The needle-leaved red. Ludwigia arcuata grows very narrow, linear leaves on arching stems, so a planted group reads as fine texture rather than broad foliage — closer to a red Rotala in feel than to the round-leaved Ludwigia most people picture. Under strong light the leaves run orange-red.
What You’ll Receive
Enhance your aquarium with our versatile selection of high-quality aquatic plants, available in three convenient formats:
- Fresh-cut Plants: Approx. 6 loose, fresh-cut stems without root
- Bunched Plants: Approx. 6 fresh-cut stems without root, bundled with foam and lead weight
- Potted Plants: Approx. 6 fresh-cut stems without root, potted with net pot and rockwool
Plant Profile
- Common name — Narrow Leaf Repens
- Scientific name — Ludwigia arcuata
- Also known as — Needle Leaf Ludwigia
- Origin — Southeastern United States
- Placement — Midground to background
- Shipped size — Approx. 6 fresh-cut stems, roughly 4-8 in
- Mature height — 8–16 in
- Suits — 10 gallons and up
- Growth rate — Fast
Care
- Difficulty — Intermediate
- Light — High. Medium light grows a healthy green plant; the orange-red needs intensity
- CO₂ — Recommended, not required
- Water — 68–82°F · pH 6.0–7.5
- Substrate — Required. Nutrient substrate or root tabs, plus water column dosing
- Growth habit — Amphibious. Also grows emersed
- Propagation — Cuttings — trim and replant stem tops
Grower’s Notes
- The leaves arrive wide and leave narrow. Emersed-grown arcuata carries broader green foliage; the fine needle leaves this plant is bought for only appear once it converts to submerged growth. Judge it on the second flush, not the first.
- Plant it in a group of at least a dozen stems. Individually the fine leaves look sparse — the texture only reads as texture in a mass.
- It grows fast, which means it needs trimming on a schedule or the tops shade the base bare.
- Replant the trimmed tops and discard the old stems; cuttings root within days.
- Easily confused with Ludwigia brevipes, which is shorter and broader-leaved. If you want the finest texture, this is the one.
Want to go deeper? Read our complete Ludwigia Care Guide.
Notes
- Ludwigia arcuata plants are sold fresh-cut and may experience minor melting or leaf loss during the transition to submerged growth. With proper light and care, they will quickly adapt and produce vibrant new growth.
- 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 stem plant for arriving "in excellent condition" with "great packaging" despite shipping delays. The plants are healthy, grow quickly, and develop beautiful red coloring. Some noted initial melting and browning, and that emerse-grown plants need time to convert. Overall, shoppers found great value and quality.
- Fantastic shipping and plant quality. Would buy again.
- They look great in my tank. They will eventually get red and add the perfect amount of color!
- Delayed in postage and still arrived perfectly healthy. They're perfectly fine and thriving.
S
As usual, my plants arrived quickly and in great condition! They look great in my tank. They will eventually get red and add the perfect amount of color!
M
Arrived fast and wrapped safe. Great plants, very healthy.
G
Usps took seven days to deliver,plants were well wrapped ,received three nice bundles after acclimation should do well .these appear to be emerse grown so will take a bit longer to adjust but are very healthy plants and will be a beautiful addition to tank.
E
The red part of the plant was more of a brownish red and a few of the plants seem to be melting back, the stems came in a little shorter than expected too, but overall they seem very healthy for having been shipped and haven’t reacted especially adversely to being put in a new environment, especially since my water is on the harder side with a Ph of 8 and a GH and KH both above 10. Apologies for the bad picture, I planted them all in the back of the tank behind taller plants so it’s hard to get a good picture
M
Plants are thriving! It's been a week since i introduced them to my planted tank and they are growing quickly,i would say easy to medium difficulty if you have good aquarium parameters. The red color on the tip of plants are just blooming! Really happy with this purchase. Shipping was really quick and packaging was really taken care of. Will definitely buy some more. Highly recommend Aquarium Plants Factory!.
M
Awsome
J
My plants turned out really great. Great packaging as well my plants arrived nicely without being destroyed.
C
Fantastic shipping and plant quality. Would buy again.
A
Ludwigia Arcuata (Narrow Leaf Repens)
A
The plants were delayed in postage and still arrived perfectly healthy. The clippings were moderately sized, and while they're a little bent out of shape from being in a little bag, they're perfectly fine and thriving
J
Received the plants in excellent condition despite the very cold weather and the long trip to the east coast. The plants are in its emerged form, but confident they’ll convert successfully.
E
Beautiful. Looks great!
b
As always APF is great to work with. Processing times were quick and the plants all arrived well-packaged and healthy. The Ludwigia Needle Leaf was a nice big bunch about 6 inches tall. Some of the stalks were already developing roots, which was nice, so I haven't had to re-plant any of them (some stem plants have come uprooted, but not these.) Super happy! I don't expect it to turn red in my low-tech setup, but I really just wanted a nice interesting taller plant, which this looks to be!
N
Another excellent delivery from APF. These plants came in net cups with rockwool protecting the stem base and roots. They had zero issues transferring from the rockwool to my substrate and the plants are starting to color up and taking on their true underwater growth pattern.
V
Plants came in virtually intact. Good packaging, excellent updates on shipmemt, even arrival. Very happy with quality and service. Well done!
J
These can in so healthy and most of the plant was ready to go (already in its submersed state). That was great. Much better than other places I’ve purchased from.
M
This plant has done wonders providing color to my aquarium.
K
So I originally stuck with cultures but I moved onto stems from the site and they have not disappointed. Already growing wonderfully
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