Green Temple on the Surface:

Green Temple (Hygrophila corymbosa) is a fast-growing stem plant native to the stream banks and wet lowlands of Southeast Asia. Its thick stems have broad, light green leaves and contrast nicely against the variable hues of browns and oranges found in the leaf litter of our aquariums. In the Botanical Method Aquarium, H. corymbosa can help provide refuge for betta fish, gouramis, rasboras, and shrimp, along with surfaces where biofilm can encrust. It grows well submerged or emersed, and can help in building biotope aquariums that incorporate a transition zone between habitats.

Essential Details

• Care Level: Easy
• Growth Habit: Fast, upright stem growth
• Light: Low to High
• CO2: Not Necessary
• Water Parameters: 72 to 82°F, pH 6.0 to 8.0, soft to hard
• Propagation: Trim tops and replant cuttings
• Tint Tolerance: Low to Moderate
• Habitat Location: Southeast Asia across river margin habitats
• Optimal For: Betta fish, gouramis, rasboras, and shrimp
• Use with Caution: Rinse before introducing; may carry beneficial hitchhiking snails, snail eggs, or duckweed from the grow-out ponds
• Size Range: 8 to 12 inches or taller
• Quantities: Sold as 3-4 Stems per bunch

Green Temple for Planted Aquariums & Blackwater Biotopes

Green Temple absorbs most of its micro- and macronutrients through its roots, so it grows best in a dirted aquarium or an inert sand substrate with root tabs. As a fast-growing stem plant, it also uptakes nutrients through its leaves and benefits from a light dose of liquid fertilizer in the water column. This plant has a tendency to send out aerial roots from its nodes into the water column. Biofilm encrusts the lower leaves and stems as they age and becomes a grazing resource for shrimp and our fishes, what we call supplemental nutrition.

The darker the tint in your aquarium, the less light reaches your plants, which can dictate how quickly Green Temple grows. Under low light it grows at a slow pace with wider spacing between leaves, what we call 'leggy growth', and medium to high light produces denser, bushier stems. Once the plant grows above 12 inches, the lower leaves will die off from reduced light. CO2 injection is optional but it can speed growth. Aquasoils absorb tannins from the water column, so an inert sand substrate with root tabs helps to preserve the tint that your botanicals release. Like with most stems, Green Temple is grown emersed, and the emersed leaves will die off as the plant transitions to submerged growth.

To propagate Green Temple, cut the top few inches and push the cutting into the substrate. The remaining stem will send out side shoots below the cut. We place Green Temple along the back of mid-sized and larger aquariums, and a clump reaching the surface provides cover that betta fish and gouramis can use for seeking refuge in. Place excess cuttings in the garbage, and never release aquarium plants into local waterways. This keeps non-native species out of your local environment.

Beneath the Leaves: Hygrophila corymbosa in the Wild

Hygrophila corymbosa is a member of the acanthus family. In the wild it roots along stream banks and in wet, seasonally flooded ground, growing emersed in the dry season and submerged as the water rises. Its genus name comes from the Greek for "moisture-loving," a fitting name for a plant that lives at the edge of the water.

Where a botanical contributes as it breaks down, an aquatic plant is living and contributes as it grows. So let them grow. Mother Nature leads the way.

Sustainability Note:

Please select a heat/cold pack if necessary. Check your local weather before ordering to avoid any shipment holds or cancellations. All Plants may contain snails or snail eggs. We keep them in all of our aquariums for the benefits they provide. Our blackwater aquarium plants are provided in cooperation with PNW Bettas in adherence to their Shipping and DOA Policies. Your curated selection will arrive in their packaging separate from your botanical, wood & merch orders.