Rotala macrandra is the most striking plant in its genus and the hardest to keep — broad, soft, translucent leaves in rose to deep crimson, on stems that snap easily and sulk when moved. Buying it as Vitro Culture sidesteps the worst of that: young sterile plantlets adapt to your water far more readily than mature farm-grown stems, which arrive already shaped by someone else's tank.
What You'll Receive
- Sold as a Tissue Culture Plants with vitamin liquid/gel
- Packaging May Vary! To be sent in either in vitro bag or cup
- Bag / Cup size: Approx. 2.5 x 2.5 inches
- Sustainable growth aquarium plants species
- Great value! Nice specimen!
- Tissue Culture Technology | 100% Free from Snail, Algae, Pathogen, and Bacteria plus Extended Shelf Life on all in Vitro Plants
Plant Profile
- Common name — Rotala Macrandra
- Scientific name — Rotala macrandra
- Also known as — Giant Red Rotala, Rotala Rose
- Origin — India
- Placement — Midground to background
- Shipped size — Small tissue-cultured plantlets, roughly 1-2 in
- Mature height — 8–16 in
- Suits — 10 gallons and up
- Growth rate — Medium
Care
- Difficulty — Advanced
- Light — High. Below that the stems stretch, lower leaves drop and the red washes out to bronze
- CO₂ — Required. Injection is not optional in practice for this species
- Water — 72–82°F · pH 6.0–7.0. Soft water gives the best colour
- Substrate — Required. Nutrient-rich substrate plus water column dosing; iron in particular drives the red
- Growth habit — Amphibious. Also grows emersed
- Propagation — Cuttings — trim and replant stem tops
Grower's Notes
- This is the reason to buy the cultured form. Mature macrandra travels badly — the stems are brittle and the plant resists adapting once it has settled into a particular tank. Plantlets have no such habits to unlearn.
- Lean nitrate is what makes it red. Fed heavily it grows green whatever the lighting; hold iron and micros steady while keeping nitrate modest.
- Plant the plantlets separately with an inch of space. Crowded groups shade their own lower leaves and rot at the base.
- The soft, broad leaves collect detritus wherever flow is weak, and algae follow. Circulation through the group matters as much as light does.
- Want the same leaf shape without the pigment demand? Rotala macrandra 'Green' drops the red and with it the iron chase.
Want to go deeper? Read our complete Rotala Care Guide.
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.
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 aquarium plant for its "amazing quality" and healthy arrival. Shoppers noted plants thrive with CO2 and high light, displaying vibrant pink coloration. All reviews were 5-star, highlighting careful packaging and good value. One customer mentioned preferring the previous container packaging system.
- Amazing quality, plants are doing great with CO2 and high light
- Plants arrived healthy and packaged with care
- The plant is perfect, waiting for grew up in my tank
A
I've had aquariums for years, but this is the first time I've tried live plants. I'm very pleased with the quality of the plants when they arrived. Very bright and healthy plants. I got Pearl weed for a carpet and Ludwigia super red for background. I'm very pleased with the quality and shipping time was great considering it was coast to coast. I look forward to ordering from here again and if you're not sure where to get your plants give them a try.
Welcome to the planted tank hobby, Jason! We're so glad your first experience was a great one. Pearl Weed makes a beautiful carpet and the Ludwigia Super Red will really pop once it settles in. Can't wait to see your tank — come back anytime!
S
I ordered a small portion of red root floaters and also a vitro culture of Micranthemum Glomeratus. I'm very happy with both. The Micranthemum has already grown a quarter inch in less then a week of planting them in my aquarium. Highly recommend this company for superb quality plants. Will be doing business again.
-Shawn
A
It’s been a week and all pearlweed took. 0 melt
D
The plants came in an awesome little container which kept them safe. The plants were lush green and ready to be placed in my tanks 🙏
E
Plants arrived in great condition and are thriving in my aquarium. I am excited to watch them grow and fill in! I will definitely order from here again.
M
I have never gone wrong with any vitro culture from Aquarium Plants Factory. Just outstanding quality.
S
Amazing quality, I do miss when they used to ship in the containers with the lids but this system is ok too. The overall plant quality was great. I had no idea the current form was going to be so pink but the plants are doing great with CO2 and high light
A
The amount is not the same as the pictures, pretty small I would say. Otherwise, all the plants arrived on time and none of them had any melting signs.
All the plants that are on the picture were bought here. (This is a 10 gallon tank that is a week old)
D
The plant is perfect , waiting for grew up in my tank , I will take the picture late.
a
the container came stocked with lots of plants and they all look very healthy and green! very happy with my purchase
S
still holding up, minimal melting, roots already forming.
C
my order was shipped in a box that was not marked Live Plant. They set in a USPS Facility for over a day. I Monitored the tracking. My order was left in an apartment Parcel box at the office and not delivered to my door. It was over 100 degrees here in Az.(2:30p,m,) Mountain. I'm70 years and I set at my front door all day and didn't track the tracking after 12p.m. because it was Saturday. Only the Amazon Swords were damaged yellow leaves or dead. I've ordered three times cause you're reasonable. Sometimes you must pay for better service. Worried about those plant I fell and ended up in the hospital. That's my fault. Thank you
E
I have ordered aquarium plants from various vendors on the web. I can truly say this place is a class act. Fast shipping. Plants in perfect condition. They will be my go to vendor for aquarium plants. Love that they are local in California
B
Good low tech plant for beginners. Seller sells quality plant cultures and delivers in a timely manner.
A
Came in great condition and fast shipping! Great product
D
I was really shocked at the portion size and amazed that how beautiful and healthy the plant was I will be shopping here again really love it thanks for the plants
K
Very beautiful cultures! Taking on well already in my nano jars. The gel rinsed off very easily as well.
G
Got my order in 2 days ago and my entire order pearlweed culture, Monte Carlo and ludwigia super red mini came in looking amazing. If I was to have a downfall I expected the pearlweed to have had more in each culture and in a bowl but if it grows as fast as the claims and reviews I may be okay even though it’s for my 75. Monte Carlo is potted and very good in size plus the ludwigia super red minis are actually bigger than I thought. Very pleased with the products keep up the good work. The pearlweed came in just a strip with the gel so not what pictures show so a lot less then expected.
J
Cultures we exceptional. Separated and planted in Stratum. ALL took and growing well.
E
The plants came in large healthy clusters, I am very pleased with this new addition to my tank
R
It arrived quickly and looks very healthy. I like the gel setup more than most mailed plant packaging. I am also very happy to have finally learned to stop getting aquatic plants from just anywhere after multiple pest related complete tank tear downs. Perfect!
S
My first purchase and while I was a little nervous my plant was very well packaged and arrived safely. Plant was healthy, green, and has already started to settle in and grow after only a couple days. I would definitely buy again thank you!
A
Plants arrived healthy and packaged with care. The size and amount of the plant was also a good value and I would definitely recommend and order again
C
Arrived very healthy and appropriately packaged! Very nice
O
Received healthy plants and they were jam packed in tissue cup. Would definitely recommend.
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