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.
Shipping Policy
At Aquarium Plants Factory, we carefully package and ship all orders to ensure plants and livestock arrive healthy and ready to thrive.
Order Processing Time
Most orders are processed within 1–2 business days after payment is received.
Orders placed on weekends or holidays will be processed on the next business day.
Orders containing out-of-stock, pre-order, or backorder items may require additional handling time.
Once your order ships, tracking information will be sent to your email.
Shipping Schedule
Live Plants
Live plant orders ship Monday through Saturday when using United States Postal Service (USPS).
Most plant-only orders ship within 1–3 business days, excluding products that are out of stock, pre-order, or backorder.
Estimated USPS delivery time is 2–5 business days, depending on your location.
UPS Express Shipping
We offer the following UPS expedited shipping options:
UPS 2-Day Air®
Estimated delivery: 2 business days
Please note that UPS 2-Day Air® is not a guaranteed service in the event of carrier delays, weather disruptions, or operational issues.
UPS Next Day Air®
Estimated delivery: 1 business day
This service is guaranteed by UPS according to their service guarantee policies.
UPS expedited orders ship Monday through Wednesday only to ensure packages arrive within the same week and avoid weekend delays.
Please note that orders require 1–2 business days of handling time before shipment.
To help ensure same-week delivery, please place UPS orders on or before Tuesday at 6:00 AM Pacific Time (PT).
Live Animals Shipping
Live animal orders ship Monday through Wednesday only.
This schedule ensures animals arrive within the same week and do not remain in transit over the weekend.
Handling time for live animal orders typically ranges from 1–5 business days, depending on:
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Weather conditions
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Livestock health
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Shipping destination
Tracking information will be emailed once the order has been shipped.
Free Shipping
We offer Free Shipping on eligible orders over $150 within the contiguous United States.
Estimated delivery time for free shipping orders is 2–5 business days.
If your order contains both live plants and live animals, the shipment may be combined and the appropriate shipping rate will be shown at checkout.
Free Shipping is not available for customers located in:
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Alaska
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Hawaii
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Puerto Rico
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Guam
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U.S. Virgin Islands
Customers in these locations must select Expedited or Express shipping options at checkout.
Delivery Time Estimates
Delivery times shown at checkout are estimates provided by the shipping carrier.
While we work hard to ship orders quickly, delivery times may vary due to factors outside of our control, including:
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Weather conditions
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Carrier delays
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High shipping volumes
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Transportation disruptions
Aquarium Plants Factory is not responsible for shipping delays caused by the carrier.
Delayed or Lost Packages
Occasionally, shipments may take longer than expected.
A package is considered lost only after 15 business days (approximately 3 weeks) from the ship date.
If a package is confirmed lost by the carrier, we may offer a 50/50 replacement, meaning:
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Aquarium Plants Factory covers 50% of the replacement cost
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The customer covers 50% plus shipping
Address Accuracy
Customers are responsible for providing a complete and accurate shipping address when placing an order.
Please ensure that your address is correct when using payment methods such as:
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Credit / Debit Card
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PayPal
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Apple Pay
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Google Pay
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Amazon Pay
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Shopify Pay
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AliPay
Orders returned due to:
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Incorrect address
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Refused delivery
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Failed delivery attempts
may not be eligible for a refund.
Order Cancellations
If you need to cancel an order, please contact us as soon as possible.
Orders can only be canceled before they have been shipped.
Once an order has been shipped, it can no longer be canceled.
Returns
Due to the sensitive nature of live goods, all sales are final.
We do not accept returns or exchanges for:
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Live plants
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Live animals
For any shipping questions, please contact us before placing your order.
Aquarium Plants Factory
https://www.AquariumPlantsFactory.com
What We Guarantee
24-Hour Live Arrival Guarantee — We guarantee that live plants and live aquatic animals will arrive alive. In the rare case of a Dead on Arrival (DOA), you must notify us within 24 hours of the delivery time recorded on the carrier's official tracking page. The guarantee is void after that 24-hour window, as condition can no longer be attributed to transit.
How to Submit a Claim
- Take at least 2 clear, well-lit photos of the affected items in their original, unopened, sealed packaging, plus a photo of the shipping label on the box.
- Email your photos and order number to hello@aquariumplantsfactory.com within 24 hours of delivery.
- Do not photograph plants or animals after they have been unpacked, planted, or introduced to your aquarium — once an item enters your aquarium's ecosystem, it is no longer covered.
Approved claims are resolved with a replacement, store credit, or refund at our discretion, under the terms of our Refund Policy. Each item is eligible for one replacement only — replacements are final and we cannot replace a replacement.
Conditions That Void the Guarantee
- Incorrect or incomplete shipping address (vacant address, missing apartment number, or any issue that prevents delivery)
- Packages marked "invalid address," "undeliverable," refused, or returned to sender
- Packages left unclaimed, held at a carrier facility at the customer's request, or not retrieved promptly after delivery — live goods must be brought indoors and unpacked the day they arrive
- Carrier delays, weather events, or delivery exceptions once the package has left our facility
- Shipments to freight forwarders or package-forwarding services
Providing accurate, complete shipping information and monitoring your tracking are essential to keeping your guarantee valid.
Please note: the Live Arrival Guarantee covers arrival only. We cannot guarantee ongoing success — aquarium environment, water quality, nutrients, temperature, lighting, filtration, and CO2 all affect long-term results.
What We Can't Guarantee
- Pest-free plants (potted & bare-root): Although our plants are grown in our own clean greenhouse, we cannot guarantee they are 100% free of snails, algae, or other hitchhikers. We recommend rinsing and quarantining all plants before adding them to your aquarium. Tissue culture (in vitro) plants are the exception — they are grown in sterile lab conditions, are 100% free of pests, algae, and disease, and have never been in contact with any aquarium.
- Pesticide-free plants: We use homemade, organic pest control in our greenhouse and never use copper-based pesticides, which are toxic to invertebrates such as snails, crabs, and shrimp. However, we cannot guarantee plants are entirely pesticide-free — always rinse and quarantine before use in invertebrate tanks.
- Your aquarium's success: We are not responsible for your aquarium inhabitants, including fish, shrimp, snails, and turtles. Please quarantine all plants before use.
- Growth form: Unless specified, we do not guarantee plants will grow emersed or submersed in your particular setup.
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 its health and quality, with many noting "plants arrived quickly and in great condition." The plant develops attractive red coloring and grows well in various setups. Most customers reported excellent packaging that protected plants during shipping, even in cold weather. Some noted stems arrived in emersed form requiring adjustment time, and one mentioned shorter stems and initial melting.
- Fantastic shipping and plant quality. Would buy again.
- Plants were delayed in postage and still arrived perfectly healthy.
- Plants are thriving! Growing quickly, the red color on the tip of plants are just blooming!
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!.
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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