Anubias barteri var. barteri (Anubias barteri) care

Light

Anubias barteri var. barteri is a useful plant for the room nobody else likes — the north-facing hallway, the basement office, the windowless bathroom with the ceiling LED. Thrives under low to moderate aquarium lighting; high light without CO2 only invites green-spot and beard algae on its slow-growing leaves. In a terrarium or emersed setup give bright-indirect light, never direct sun. Expect slow growth and pale new leaves; that's the cost of low light, not a sign anything is wrong.

Watering

Aim for submerged full-time; change 20-30% of tank water weekly for anubias barteri var. barteri, but treat that as a starting point rather than a rule. A south-facing summer windowsill will dry the pot twice as fast as a north-facing winter room. Lift the pot; if it feels noticeably lighter than it did wet, water it. A true aquatic plant kept underwater. Keep it permanently submerged or, if grown emersed, in constantly saturated soil at near-100% humidity. Soft to moderately hard water, pH 6.0-7.8, is ideal; stagnant low-oxygen water encourages rhizome rot.

Soil and pot

Anubias barteri var. barteri grows best in rhizome attached to hardscape, not planted in substrate. Tie or glue the rhizome to driftwood or rock with the rhizome fully exposed. Burying the rhizome in substrate suffocates it and causes rot; only the roots should anchor into gravel or sand if substrate-grown. A pot with a working drainage hole is non-negotiable for this species — even free-draining mix will turn soggy in a closed planter. If you love the look of a decorative pot without a hole, use it as a cachepot around an inner nursery pot you can lift out to water.

Humidity and temperature

Anubias barteri var. barteri sits happiest at around 90-100% humidity and 22-28°C (72-82°F). As an aquatic plant it is submerged or, when emersed, demands near-saturated air. In a paludarium or terrarium keep humidity above 90%; dry household air quickly browns and crisps the leaf margins. If you keep the room above 22 year-round and avoid placing the plant near a cold draught, a hot radiator, or an air-conditioning vent, you have already handled the two biggest indoor stressors.

Fertilising

Feed anubias barteri var. barteri sparingly. Feed primarily through the water column with a liquid aquatic fertiliser supplying potassium, iron and trace elements; root tabs help little since it feeds via the rhizome and leaves. Modest CO2 supplementation speeds its otherwise glacial growth but is not required. Skip fertiliser entirely on a stressed, recently-repotted, or actively wilting plant — fertiliser salts make damage worse, not better. Wait for a round of healthy new growth before resuming a feeding rhythm.

Common problems

Below are the issues we see most often on anubias barteri var. barteri in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

• Rhizome rot — Caused by burying the rhizome in substrate. Keep the rhizome fully exposed and attach only the roots; trim any mushy, blackened sections.
• Algae on leaves — Slow growth means leaves linger long enough to collect green-spot and black-beard algae, especially under bright light. Reduce lighting intensity and improve flow.
• Melting after transition — Plants grown emersed at the farm may shed older leaves when first submerged. Leave the rhizome intact; new submersed leaves regrow within weeks.
• Stunted, no new growth — Usually low water-column nutrients or no CO2. Dose a complete liquid fertiliser and be patient, as this species is naturally very slow.

Propagation

Divide the rhizome with a clean blade, ensuring each section keeps at least three to four leaves and healthy roots. Reattach divisions to wood or rock. Avoid cutting too small, as tiny pieces stall for months before resuming growth. Propagation is the cheapest, most satisfying way to expand a collection — and it doubles as insurance against losing a mature plant to an accident. Take a backup cutting once the parent is established and healthy.

Toxicity to pets

Anubias barteri var. barteri is mildly toxic to pets. Not individually listed by the ASPCA. Anubias is a member of the arum family (Araceae), which the ASPCA consistently lists as toxic to cats and dogs due to insoluble calcium oxalate crystals (e.g. pothos, Monstera, Nephthytis). Treat with caution and verify with a vet; assume potential oral irritation if a pet chews the leaves. If you keep cats, dogs, or curious children in the house, weigh placement carefully — a high shelf or a hanging planter is enough for casual safety. For severe ingestion incidents, call your local vet and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (in the US, 888-426-4435).

Pet-safety status is sourced from the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List, which catalogues the most-asked-about plants for cats, dogs, and horses.

Anubias barteri var. barteri deep-dive guides

Every aspect of anubias barteri var. barteri care, each with its own calibrated guide:

• Anubias barteri var. barteri watering schedule
• Anubias barteri var. barteri light requirements
• Best soil mix for anubias barteri var. barteri
• Anubias barteri var. barteri fertilizing guide
• When to repot anubias barteri var. barteri
• How to propagate anubias barteri var. barteri
• Anubias barteri var. barteri growth rate & size
• Anubias barteri var. barteri cold hardiness
• Anubias barteri var. barteri temperature & humidity
• Is anubias barteri var. barteri toxic to cats & dogs?
• Is anubias barteri var. barteri toxic to cats?
• Is anubias barteri var. barteri toxic to dogs?

Featured in these plant shortlists

Anubias barteri var. barteri qualifies for 4 curated Growli shortlists — each one filtered objectively from our structured plant-care library, so the selection is consistent and checkable:

• Best low-light houseplants — Houseplants that need no direct sun and cope with a north-facing room or a spot well back from a window.
• Best humidity-loving houseplants — Houseplants that thrive in a bathroom, kitchen, or by a humidifier — selected by documented humidity preference.
• Best bathroom plants — Humidity-loving houseplants that also cope with lower light — suited to the steamy, often-dim conditions of a typical bathroom.
• Best small & tabletop houseplants — Compact houseplants that stay under about 40 cm — desk, shelf and windowsill plants that never outgrow a small space.
• Browse all 29 plant shortlists — pet-safe, low-light, drought-tolerant and more

Related guides

Anubias barteri var. barteri is also commonly called Anubias barteri or broad-leaf Anubias.

• Monstera care — light, water and common problems
• Pothos care — light, water and common problems
• Fiddle leaf fig care — light, water and common problems
• All 5561 plant care guides in the Growli library