Cryptocoryne undulata ‘Broad Leaves’ is a robust, highly adaptable triploid variant of the classic Cryptocoryne undulata native to Sri Lanka. It is highly prized in the aquarium hobby for its beginner-friendly care requirements and its distinctive, wide, ruffled foliage that adds exceptional visual weight to aquascapes.

Plant Overview:

• Placement: Midground (or background in smaller nano tanks)
• Growth Rate: Medium / Slow
• Height: 15–30 cm
• Width: Single rosette reaches 10–20 cm
• Appearance: Wider, lance-shaped leaves with a gently undulating margin and a beautiful, flecked or mottled leaf pattern.

Water Parameters & Requirements:

• Temperature: 15–28°C (Ideal: 22–28°C)
• pH: 5.0–8.0
• Carbonate Hardness: 1–18°dKH (Handles hard water very well)
• Lighting: Low to Moderate
• CO2: Low to Optional
• Low Light & Low Nutrients: Produces a taller, more stretched plant with greenish-brown or olive leaves. Growth will be quite slow.
• High Light, High Nutrients, & CO2: Produces a more compact, shorter rosette with deep bronze to intense reddish-brown leaves.

Planting & Care Guide:

• Substrate is Key
  • Crypts are heavy root feeders. They absorb the vast majority of their nutrients from the ground rather than the water column. Plant them in a nutrient-rich aquasoil or use supplemental root tabs
• Avoid Burying the Crown
  • When planting, bury the roots entirely but ensure the crown (the base where the leaves meet the roots) sits just above the substrate surface. Burying the crown too deep can cause the plant to rot.
• Managing “Crypt Melt”
  • Like almost all members of the Cryptocoryne genus, this variant is prone to Crypt Melt. When introduced to a new aquarium, or if water chemistry shifts drastically, the plant may completely dissolve or drop its leaves. Do not panic or discard the plant. Leave the root system undisturbed in the substrate; it will adapt to your parameters and send up healthy, new submersed leaves within a few weeks.
• Propagation
  • Once established, it will gradually expand across your midground by throwing out underground runners (runners/suckers). Over time, these form a lush, dense colony. You can propagate them manually by gently separating these runners from the mother plant using a sharp pair of aquascaping scissors and replanting them.