Anubias hastifolia (spear-leaf Anubias) care

Light

If you have a corner where every other plant turned leggy and died, try anubias hastifolia. Low to moderate aquarium light is sufficient; its size and slow growth mean strong light mainly feeds algae. Emersed in a paludarium, give bright-indirect light, never direct sun. The catch: when a low-light plant does fail, it's almost always because someone watered it on the same schedule as their brighter plants. Less light = less water, every time.

Watering

Watering anubias hastifolia: submerged full-time; change 20-30% of tank water weekly. The number that matters isn't the day of the week — it's how dry the top 2-3 cm of the pot feels. A finger in the soil tells you more than a watering app. After every watering, tip the saucer. Grows submerged or emersed at the waterline. Tolerates soft to moderately hard water, pH 6.0-7.5. Emersed culture needs saturated substrate and near-saturated air. Good flow keeps the large leaves clean of detritus.

Soil and pot

Anubias hastifolia grows best in rhizome attached to hardscape, never buried. Anchor the thick rhizome to large driftwood or rock with the rhizome exposed; roots can reach into substrate. Burying the rhizome leads to 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 hastifolia sits happiest at around 90-100% humidity and 22-28°C (72-82°F). Submerged in normal aquarium use; emersed growth needs humidity above 90%. The large spear-shaped leaves desiccate at the edges 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 hastifolia sparingly. Feed through the water column with a complete liquid aquatic fertiliser supplying iron, potassium and trace elements. Root tabs help little. CO2 supplementation increases growth rate and leaf size on this larger species. 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 hastifolia in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

• Rhizome rot — Caused by substrate burial. Keep the rhizome exposed on hardscape and trim mushy, darkened tissue.
• Algae on large leaves — Big, slow leaves accumulate green-spot and beard algae under bright light. Lower light intensity and add circulation.
• Outgrowing the tank — Its large size can overwhelm small aquariums. Site it in tall tanks or paludariums and divide periodically to control spread.
• Transition melt — Emersed-grown plants may drop leaves when submerged. Keep the rhizome intact and wait for new aquatic foliage.

Propagation

Split the thick rhizome with a clean blade, leaving each division with several leaves and roots, then reattach to large hardscape. Generous divisions recover faster than small cuttings. 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 hastifolia is mildly toxic to pets. Not individually listed by the ASPCA. Anubias hastifolia is in the arum family (Araceae), which 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 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 hastifolia deep-dive guides

Every aspect of anubias hastifolia care, each with its own calibrated guide:

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

Featured in these plant shortlists

Anubias hastifolia qualifies for 3 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.
• Browse all 29 plant shortlists — pet-safe, low-light, drought-tolerant and more

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Anubias hastifolia is also commonly called spear-leaf Anubias or tall Anubias.

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