Anubias bateri var. 'Bonsai Nana Petite'
Anubias bateri var. 'Bonsai Nana Petite' (AKA Anubias 'Bonsai'. Anubias Bonsai Petite. Bonsai Anubias etc...)
This is the smallest of the dwarf Anubias barteri Var. ‘Nana’ cultivars and arguably one of the rarest and most valuable of the miniature Anubias barteri ‘Nana’ series. It is most an artificially breed variant of Anubias barteri Var. Nana, which is naturally occurring and native to the Great Rift Lakes of eastern Africa along with its full-size cousin: Anubias barteri.
It's an extremely easy plant that is virtually impossible to kill and beloved by both beginners and experts alike.
The 'Bonsai Petite' version of 'Anubias Nana' is fairly rare and commands a comparatively high price so once your plants are established and growing well, cuttings could be worth some decent cash.
Like all Anubias which are slow-growing plants, high lighting should only be used with CO2 supplementation. Otherwise, algae may cover the older, slower-growing leaves to the point where the leaves have to be removed. If you do not have CO2 in your aquarium, keep your lighting levels low to medium at most. If you notice algae growing on the leaves, try and remove it as soon as possible with a stiff brush before it grows any more.
Each cup contains about 4-8 separate plants - significantly more than purchasing a single plant at the same price from a traditional vendor!
NOTE: If you really want this plant and are happy to wait for the current batch to mature, you may place a pre-order for when the next batch is ready. We estimate about 2-4 weeks.
Specs
QUICK NOTES:
Difficulty: Very Easy
Type: Epiphytic aroid (Araceae) with prominent rhizome and lateral shoots.
Size: Leaves are unlikely to be more than 1cm wide. This cultivar is a short plant usually not exceeding an inch and a half in height. Anubias Nana Bonsai Petite tends to grow horizontally as the main stem (the rhizome) determines snakes along a surface, piloting its growth and spread.
Position and Usage: Because of its diminutive size, A. Bonsai Petite is a fantastic choice for foreground use, decorating (and softening) hardscape. It makes a great specimen display plant for a smaller aquarium, paludarium, or terrarium. In larger aquariums, Anubias are excellent plants for glass planting cups to keep them from getting lost, buried by faster-growing plants. You can show them off while keeping a close eye on their health, growth, and reproductive potential.
Growth rate: Slow (no CO2) to Moderately Fast (with supplemental CO2). The growth rate will increase noticeably with or without CO2 once it is established and the roots have permanently attached to a surface and perhaps even reached a nutrient-rich substrate bed. For that reason, we discourage trimming roots that have reached the substrate unless you must.
Lighting: 1/5 - 3/5 (without CO2) 3/5 to 5/5 (with supplemental CO2). High lighting without CO2 will invite potentially harmful algal growth while CO2 allows the use of high lighting that can speed up growth dramatically.
Water Conditions: 18 - 28°C are ideal. Water chemistry is unimportant as Anubias will thrive in the slightly acidic, softer water common to planted aquariums as well as extremely hard, alkaline water that few other aquarium plants can grow in.
CO2: Not required but recommended if fast growth or submerged propagation is desired. Lighting should be controlled and kept at low levels absent CO2 fertilization to minimize the potential for algae
Propagation: Similar to all Anubias species. Separation of mother plant into smaller “daughter plants” by (carefully) cutting rhizome into smaller pieces containing at least 2-3 healthy shoots each.
Propagation is best done on mature, established plants or with the assistance of CO2. The condition of the mother Anubias Bonsai and the type of cutting taken greatly influence the survival and development of daughter plants.
The best cuttings are taken from rhizomes that are naturally branching and have an existing terminal bud. Cuttings taken from middle sections contain only lateral buds and will take longer to start growing as they must first develop a terminal bud (or two). Potential mother plants may be kept emersed in a terrestrial substrate (keeping the rhizome unburied), for faster growth and therefore more propagules. Smaller propagules are best kept emersed or in aquariums with CO2 supplementation where they will quickly mature.
Special Requirements: Few special requirements - the rhizome must have access to fairly high levels of dissolved oxygen. May be grown as an epiphyte on suitable surfaces or carefully planted in a looser substrate without burying the rhizome.
Older, slower-growing leaves are prone to be smothered by algae so in aquariums without CO2 supplementation, lighting should be kept low. Older leaves and slower growing parts of the plant should be manually checked for and cleared cleaned of any algae development using something like a brush.
Terrarium Use and Emersed Cultivation: Originally a marsh plant, Anubias barteri Nana Bonsai Petite is an excellent plant for emersed growth in a somewhat humid environment and makes for a beautiful and interesting terrarium (or paludarium plant). It can be kept in less humid terrariums than most amphibious aquarium plants since Anubias have a fairly thick cuticle (unlike most other aquarium plants) and therefore are better at retaining water.
Anubias should be planted in well aerated terrestrial substrates with only the roots buried - leaving the rhizome well above the planting media. Anubias barteri Var. Bonsai will take to high light after a short acclimation period and grow quite fast when conditions are good.
Because Anubia plants hail from the highly alkaline and very hard waters of East Africa’s famous Rift Valley Lakes, they may not appreciate overly acidic planting media that also soften water such as peat though their undemanding nature meals they will most likely survive, acclimate and grow well. Despite their adaptability, they will most likely thrive and acclimate faster in more alkaline soils with harder water.
Without algae being a problem, Anbuias Bonsais being cultivated emersed can be provided with high light which will allow it to grow quite quickly once established, making them ripe for propagation, especially if is extensive development of lateral shoots on the rhizome that result in “forks”
The physical appearance of Anubias barteri. Var. Nana Bonsai Petite is almost the same in aquaria or grown terrestrially. It is a beautiful addition to any terrarium or paludarium where its small size works well with smaller terrariums and enlarges the sense of scale. It grows well as a terrarium epiphyte so it can be used to decorate rocks, wood, and other ornaments in a terrarium.
