Understanding the Purple Aquatic Plant – A Comprehensive Guide
Those purple aquatic plants always seem to grab your attention. Whether they are floating proudly on top of the water or nicely nestled on the substrate, their vibrant colour certainly contrasts with the greens and blues of most aquatic situations. Aquarium-keeping enthusiasts and professional aquascapers love how these purple plants not only make for a good-looking water garden or aquarium but also enrich the water, provide much-needed shade and shelter, and ultimately add life to an otherwise dark, deep and lightless water column in which these plants live.
In this article, we will cover everything you need to know about purple aquatic plants. We’ll take a look at what they are, what types of these plants there are, the main benefits of adding them to your water garden, among other things. We will also discuss their care details. So, let’s find out about purple aquatic plants and what makes them such a great addition to your aquarium or water garden.
Characteristics of Purple Aquatic Plants
Purple aquatic plants have stems, leaves and/or flowers that are purple, lavender or violet in colour – a result of anthocyanins, the same pigments that imbue many terrestrial flowers with red, blue and purple colours. The hue of purple occurs in a wide range of shades, some species are rich, deep purples, while others are lighter, more muted in colour.
These species are found in freshwater environments like ponds, lakes, rivers and even aquarium water and ranges in sizes; from the tiny, fairy-like species that are ideal for a nano tank, to the hardy, robust species which look gorgeous and vigorously grow on outdoor ponds. Hence their refuge wide applicability from nano aquarium water storage tanks to larger water bodies. The adaptability of purple aquatic plants to water conditions and required lighting is a considerable advantage as far as their application in diverse aquatic settings is concerned.
When it comes to growth form, purple aquatics may be submerged, floating or emergent. Submerged plants are entirely submerged with their roots held in the substrate. Floating plants have their leaves or flowers floating on the surface of the water with their roots hanging freely in the water column. Emergent plants grow in shallow waters with their roots held in the substrate and their leaves and flowers emerging above the waterline.
Popular Types of Purple Aquatic Plants
There are numerous types of purple aquatic plant for aquarists or water gardeners to choose from. Those species showing their distinctive features and beautiful colors are accepted by aquarists or water gardeners and are frequently planted in aquatic environment. In view of that, it is indispensable for us to choose proper purple aquatic plant for our special need at hand.
In the following are some common purplish aquatic plants:
1. Purple Cabomba (Cabomba furcata)
Purple Cabomba (Cabomba caroliniana) is a decorative submerged plant with feathery leaves of green to deep purple colour (or glaucescent flowers), favoured for the delicate appearance and vivid colour it gives to an aquarium. This quite robust plant will grow well, provided that it is again in full light and supplied with suitably nutrient-rich water, in which it maintains its exquisite appearance and takes on a deep purplish hue.
2. Ludwigia Palustris ‘Super Red’
However, it is often referred to as ‘Super Red’, and it can also put on impressive shows of purple, particularly in high-light settings. It can be kept growing emerse [sic] to completely submerged, and its small, rounded leaves make it quite versatile when it comes to planting aquariums for texture and colour contrasts. Ludwigia Palustris ‘Super Red’ is fast-growing and relatively easy to maintain, making it a good option for ambitious aquascapes.
3. Nymphaea ‘Purple Fantasy’
Water lily flowers emerge from, and then melt back into, the world below, which reflects on the surface of a pondNymphaea, also known as water lily, is a genus of beautifully flowered aquatic plants. Nymphaea ‘Purple Fantasy’, a variety of the Egyptian aquatic torch lily (Nymphaea lotus), produces purple blooms on the surface of the water. The flowers are violet-purple, cupped by deep purple leaves that float atop the surface of the water. This gorgeous water lily blooms from mid- to late summer. The flowers of Nymphaea ‘Purple Fantasy’ form a dramatic focal point in ponds and water gardens. This water lily, known for its colourful and dramatic blooms, requires full sunlight and calm, still water. It is more demanding than other, less colourful water lilies, which can make the plant difficult to grow. However, its beauty is unrivalled.
4. Rotala Macrandra ‘Purple’
Another much-sought-after species among aquascapers is Rotala Macrandra. This mono stem plant has very thin, tall leaves that turn a deep purple under high light and nutrient rich conditions. Rotala Macrandra ‘Purple’ is a bit more difficult to keep than some other species, and it is quite demanding for light and nutrients. But it’s also one of the most beautiful aquarium plants out there.
5. Alternanthera Reineckii ‘Mini’
Alternanthera Reineckii ‘Mini,’ which exhibits red, pink, and purple tones and usually grows to around a foot tall, is a small plant that is ideal for either the front or the mid-ground in an aquarium, lending itself to colour but without being intrusive to the overall look. It has once more become quite widely utilized, and is reasonably simple to keep in the home aquarium. Good lighting and CO2 supplementation seems to help the intense colouration.
Benefits of Purple Aquatic Plants
Not only are these purple aquatic plants great eye candy, they also have a number of important ecological and utilitarian advantages for the environments to which they are imported. Appreciating these benefits will allow aquarists and water gardeners to get the most from them.
1. Enhancing Aesthetic Appeal
The most obvious advantage of purple aquatic plants stems from their appearance: they add a breath of fresh air to aquariums and water gardens traditionally populated with green plants. Ordinarily, purple leaves add contrast to a tropical landscape and attract the viewer’s attention. They can be used to make a minimalistic arrangement more homogenous and appealing, as contrasting colours are always more interesting. Dwarf plants with purple leaves make excellent focal points, and their midground appearance never looks out of place as most of the natural life forms exist in various shades of green.
2. Improving Water Quality
Purple aquatic plants, like other aquatic plants, support natural water conditions through nutrient cycling by absorbing nutrients from water, decreasing algae growth and helping to avoid nutrient imbalances, along with providing portions of the nutrients and oxygen as plant matter is broken down by bacteria over time in the water. Some species also improve water quality by photosynthetically releasing oxygen into the water. The world continues to go out of balance.
3. Providing Habitat and Shelter
Many species of aquatic plants are purple. Shallow-rooted tolerant ones will provide refuge and habitat for animals. Fish, invertebrates and amphibians can hide, breed and feed in them. Some species are so leafy and dense that they provide excellent cover for shy or territorial fish, which might thereby relax their stress and aggression responses.
4. Supporting Biodiversity
Purple water plants are great for creating biodiversity in nature and also in your own fish tank or aquarium. Not only are they visually stunning, but they are also good for the environment, as they provide a good balance of food, shelter and breeding places for types of life, which results in a healthy and great variety of species in water.
5. Enhancing Oxygen Levels
And, through photosynthesis and the oxygenation of the water itself, the purple species aid in keeping such basic life-giving elements as oxygen at adequate levels. Respiring fish and other aquatic organisms need oxygen, and open living systems located in ever-changing conditions, like an aquarium, need the ability to maintain oxygen levels for the simple reason that their existence depends on it.