Anubias barteri var. nana 'Petite' (Anubias nana Petite) care

Light

Anubias barteri var. nana 'Petite' is a useful plant for the room nobody else likes — the north-facing hallway, the basement office, the windowless bathroom with the ceiling LED. Low to moderate aquarium lighting suits it best. Because its small leaves grow so slowly, bright light mainly fuels algae. Emersed, provide bright-indirect light only. 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. nana 'petite', 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. Kept underwater in the aquarium, tolerating soft to hard water at pH 6.0-7.8. If grown emersed it needs constantly saturated substrate and near-100% humidity. Stable, well-oxygenated water keeps the tiny rhizome healthy.

Soil and pot

Anubias barteri var. nana 'Petite' grows best in rhizome attached to small hardscape, never buried. Glue or tie the small rhizome onto pebbles, lava rock or fine branches with the rhizome exposed. Its compact size makes it perfect for detailed foregrounds; burying the rhizome causes rot. 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. nana 'Petite' sits happiest at around 90-100% humidity and 22-28°C (72-82°F). Submerged in normal aquarium use; emersed growth requires near-saturated air above 90%. The miniature leaves desiccate fast in dry household air. 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. nana 'petite' sparingly. Feed through the water column with a complete liquid aquatic fertiliser providing iron, potassium and trace elements. Root tabs offer little benefit. Optional low CO2 speeds its otherwise extremely slow growth. 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. nana 'petite' in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

• Algae on slow leaves — The smallest, slowest leaves are prone to green-spot and beard algae. Keep light modest and place it where there is gentle flow.
• Rhizome rot — Even more sensitive than larger forms because of its tiny rhizome. Keep it fully exposed and trim any mushy tissue immediately.
• Failure to spread — Naturally extremely slow; new leaves may take weeks. Ensure steady water-column nutrients and resist the urge to disturb it.
• Detachment from hardscape — Small plants can pop loose before roots grip. Re-secure with gel glue or thread until the roots anchor firmly.

Propagation

Divide the rhizome carefully, keeping each piece with a cluster of leaves and roots, then reattach to small hardscape. Because it is so slow, divide sparingly and expect a long establishment period. 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. nana 'Petite' is mildly toxic to pets. Not individually listed by the ASPCA. Like all Anubias it is in the arum family (Araceae), a family the ASPCA lists as toxic to cats and dogs because of insoluble calcium oxalate crystals. Treat with caution and verify with a vet; do not assume it is pet-safe. 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. nana 'Petite' deep-dive guides

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

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

Featured in these plant shortlists

Anubias barteri var. nana 'Petite' 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

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