[X-Large!] Anubias Hastifolia

Anubias hastifolia — arrowhead anubias

A bold, architectural plant that thrives on low light and almost zero maintenance

Anubias hastifolia is the dramatic one in the Anubias family. Where most Anubias varieties stay compact and rounded, hastifolia throws up distinctly arrowhead-shaped leaves on noticeably longer stems — creating a vertical presence that reads clearly even from across the room. This X-Large specimen arrives at 8–10 or more inches and can anchor a midground or background without needing any other plants around it.

Unlike nearly every other aquatic plant, it does not go into substrate. The rhizome — the thick horizontal stem everything grows from — must be tied or wedged onto wood or rock, where it grips the surface over time and stays put for years. Once settled, it is one of the lowest-maintenance plants you can own. It tolerates low light, skipped fertilizer doses, and infrequent water changes far better than almost anything else.

Most important thing to know: Never bury the rhizome in substrate. If the thick horizontal stem is covered by gravel or soil it will rot and the plant will die — usually within a few weeks. Attach only the roots into substrate or, ideally, tie the entire plant to hardscape and leave the roots free.

Rhizome placement — do's and don'ts

How to place your Anubias hastifolia

✓ Tie rhizome flat against driftwood using cotton thread or fishing line

✓ Wedge between rocks so the rhizome is exposed but the roots are anchored

✓ Use cyanoacrylate gel (super glue) to spot-bond the rhizome to hardscape

✗ Bury the rhizome in gravel or substrate — this will cause rot and plant death

✗ Place in direct, intense light — algae will colonize the slow-growing leaves

Aquascaping tip: Hastifolia's tall, arrow-shaped leaves contrast beautifully with round-leaved foreground plants like cryptocorynes or small-leaf mosses. Place it slightly off-center on a large piece of driftwood to create a natural focal point — it will look established and intentional from day one.

At a glance

Care guide

Customer questions answered

(Q) Do I plant it in gravel, or does it attach to something?

= Anubias hastifolia is an epiphyte — it feeds through its leaves and roots, not through substrate. The correct method is to attach the rhizome (the thick, horizontal stem) to driftwood or rock using cotton thread, fishing line, or a small dab of super glue gel. The roots will gradually grip the surface on their own. If you place it in gravel, keep the rhizome fully exposed above the surface — only the trailing roots should make contact with substrate. Burying the rhizome even partially is the single most common way to lose an Anubias plant.

(Q) It's barely growing — is something wrong with my tank?

= Probably not — Anubias hastifolia is simply one of the slowest-growing plants in the freshwater hobby. In good conditions, expect one to two new leaves per month. This is completely normal and actually works in your favor: slow growth means minimal trimming, minimal leaf litter, and a plant that looks the same in six months as it did the day you put it in. If no new leaves have appeared after six to eight weeks, check that the rhizome is not buried and that the plant is receiving at least some indirect light.

(Q) Green or brown algae is growing on the leaves — what do I do?

= Leaf algae on Anubias is extremely common because its leaves are long-lived and slow-growing — algae spores have more time to settle and establish than on fast-growing plants that constantly shed and replace leaves. The main fixes are: reduce the light hitting the plant directly (Anubias prefers shade — it naturally grows under tree canopies in the wild), improve water circulation around the leaves, and add algae-grazing crew members like Amano shrimp, Otocinclus catfish, or nerite snails. For existing algae, a 3 percent hydrogen peroxide spot-treatment applied with a syringe directly to the leaves during a water change is safe and effective.

What's included

1 X-Large Anubias hastifolia plant, 8–10+ inches, with rhizome and roots intact. Arrives ready to attach to driftwood or hardscape — no substrate or additional equipment required.

Ships within 10 to 15 business days.