🌿 All About Rotala macrandra 'Mini Butterfly' – Growow TC Plant

Rotala macrandra 'Mini Butterfly' is a stunning, ultra-compact red stem plant prized for its intense coloration and delicate, butterfly-shaped leaves. This variant is smaller and bushier than the classic macrandra, making it ideal for nano tanks, foreground red highlights, and detailed aquascaping. Supplied in Growow Tissue Culture, it ensures a healthy, pest-free start.

🔍 Quick Overview

• Scientific Name: Rotala macrandra 'Mini Butterfly'

• Common Name: Mini Butterfly Rotala

• Family: Lythraceae

• Origin: Cultivated hybrid (Asia)

• Type: Stem plant

🌱 Plant Features

• Height: 5–15 cm

• Leaf Shape: Small, oval to round “butterfly-like” leaves

• Color: Bright pink to deep crimson-red (under strong lighting)

• Growth Habit: Compact, dense, and bushy

• Growth Speed: Moderate

💧 Tank Requirements

• Lighting: High (essential for red tones and compact growth)

• CO₂: Strongly recommended

• Substrate: Nutrient-rich (aquasoil or supplemented inert substrate)

• Water Parameters:

  • pH: 5.5–6.8

  • Temperature: 22–28°C

  • Hardness: Soft water preferred

• Position in Tank: Foreground to midground due to its compact size

🧪 Growow TC Plant Benefits

• Lab-grown, sterile cup – free from pests, algae, or diseases

• Easy to split into multiple stems for planting

• Transitions quickly to submerged growth with proper care

• Ideal for shrimp tanks or sensitive species due to its clean origin

🌟 Why Choose 'Mini Butterfly'?

• Delivers intense red hues in a compact format

• Ideal for nano aquascapes or red carpet-like effects

• Adds contrast against green and gold plants

• Great choice for foreground accents or color layering

🧠 Aquascaping Tips

• Trim regularly to encourage dense, bushy growth

• Avoid shading – it thrives in full, direct light

• Combine with plants like:

  • Rotala rotundifolia 'Green'

  • Hemianthus micranthemoides

  • Ludwigia palustris

• Dose iron-rich fertilizers and maintain stable CO₂ for best color

• Can be used as a low hedge or foreground highlight

💡 Pro Tip: Unlike many red stems, Mini Butterfly maintains compact form under trimming, making it perfect for color layering in small tanks.