Aponogeton crispus: the easy crinkled bulb plant

Where it comes from

Aponogeton crispus grows from a bulb-like corm in the still and slow waters of Sri Lanka. It is one of the easiest bulb plants in the hobby — a far more forgiving introduction than its dramatic relative, the Madagascar lace plant.

What to expect

From the bulb rises a rosette of long, translucent green leaves with distinctively crinkled, wavy edges. It grows quickly into a fountain-like specimen tall enough to fill the background or stand alone as a centrepiece.

How to keep it

It asks for very little: no CO2, undemanding on water, and happy in a wide range of light. What it does want is food for the bulb — a nutrient-rich substrate and root tabs drive its fast growth. Plant the bulb with the growing tip just proud of the substrate, not buried.

Parameter	Value
Lighting	Medium to high
CO2	Not required
Temperature	22–28 °C
pH	6.0–7.5
Hardness	Soft to hard
Fertiliser	Root tabs; a hungry bulb
Substrate	Nutrient-rich, over the bulb
Growth rate	Fast
Placement	Background, Midground
Difficulty	Easy

The rest period

Like many Aponogetons it may take a dormancy, dropping its leaves after a strong growth spell. If it does, leave the bulb in place or store it cool and damp for a few weeks, then replant — it usually returns vigorously. It can also flower and, with two plants, set seed.

What goes wrong

The commonest mistake is burying the bulb entirely, which rots it — leave the crown exposed. Sudden leaf loss is usually dormancy rather than death, so do not bin the bulb. Feed the roots and it is close to foolproof.

More plants in this series

• Madagascar lace plant (Aponogeton madagascariensis) — the dramatic lace-leaved bulb
• Cryptocoryne balansae — the corrugated background crypt
• Amazon sword (Echinodorus grisebachii) — the classic background specimen
• Vallisneria spiralis — the flowing background plant