Persicaria 'Sao Paulo' is one of the few stem plants that goes genuinely magenta rather than red-brown. Upright stems with little side branching, holding a deep pink-purple that most reds never reach — and like most plants that colour that hard, it wants light and CO₂ to do it.

What You'll Receive

Fresh, healthy Persicaria praetermissa 'Sao Paulo' cultivated and prepared by Aquarium Plants Factory®, available in convenient planting formats:

Fresh Cut Plants: Approximately 6+ loose, fresh-cut stems without roots.
Fresh Cut Bunched: Approximately 6+ stems bundled with foam and a plant weight for easy placement.
Fresh Cut Potted: About 6+ stems potted securely in a net pot with rockwool for stability and easy planting.

Plant Profile

• Common name — Sao Paulo Persicaria
• Scientific name — Persicaria sp. 'Sao Paulo'
• Also known as — Persicaria praetermissa 'Sao Paulo', São Paulo Smartweed
• Origin — Brazil
• Placement — Midground to background
• Shipped size — Approx. 6+ fresh-cut stems, no roots
• Mature height — 6-14 inches
• Suits — 10 gallons and up
• Growth rate — Medium

Care

• Difficulty — Intermediate
• Light — Medium to high; high light is what produces the magenta
• CO₂ — Recommended
• Water — 68-82°F, pH 6.0-7.5
• Substrate — Nutrient-rich soil or root tabs, plus water column dosing
• Growth habit — Amphibious stem; green emersed, magenta submersed
• Propagation — Cuttings

Grower's Notes

• It ships green and that is correct. Our stock is grown emersed with plain green foliage. The magenta develops only after the plant converts to submersed growth under strong light — judge it on the third set of leaves, not the first.
• Magenta, not red. Most red stem plants land somewhere between rust and wine. Sao Paulo goes pink-purple, which is why it stands out in a tank that already has reds in it.
• It branches poorly, so plant a group. Stems grow straight up with little lateral shooting. Density comes from planting several together, not from waiting for one stem to bush out.
• Older stems drop their lower leaves and put out roots at the nodes. Cut the healthy tops, replant them, and pull the bare bases rather than trying to nurse them back.
• Colour is what separates it from Persicaria sp. 'Kawagoeanum', which is sometimes sold under this name. The two are very similar in leaf shape and size — the difference shows once they colour up: Sao Paulo goes pink-purple, Kawagoeanum orange-red.

Notes

• This plant is shipped in its emersed form with green foliage. Coloration will intensify after submersion under high light and CO₂. Temporary leaf drop or adjustment is normal during transition. For best results, maintain stable parameters and strong lighting.
• 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:

• Weather conditions

• Livestock health

• 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:

• Alaska

• Hawaii

• Puerto Rico

• Guam

• 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:

• Weather conditions

• Carrier delays

• High shipping volumes

• 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:

• Aquarium Plants Factory covers 50% of the replacement cost

• 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:

• Credit / Debit Card

• PayPal

• Apple Pay

• Google Pay

• Amazon Pay

• Shopify Pay

• AliPay

Orders returned due to:

• Incorrect address

• Refused delivery

• 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:

• Live plants

• 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

1. 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.
2. Email your photos and order number to hello@aquariumplantsfactory.com within 24 hours of delivery.
3. 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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Your aquarium's success: We are not responsible for your aquarium inhabitants, including fish, shrimp, snails, and turtles. Please quarantine all plants before use.
4. 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.