Soil & potting mix
Best soil for Coffee-leaf Anubias (Anubias coffeifolia)
Also called Coffee Anubias, Coffeifolia Anubias.
More about coffee-leaf anubias
About Coffee-leaf Anubias
Anubias coffeifolia · also called Coffee Anubias, Coffeifolia Anubias · tropical
A distinctive cultivar or variety of Anubias producing deeply corrugated, dark green leaves that strikingly resemble coffee plant foliage. It is highly popular in planted aquariums for its unusual leaf texture and slow, hardy growth. Like all Anubias, it thrives when the rhizome is attached to hardscape rather than buried in substrate. As an aroid it contains calcium oxalates and is toxic to pets.
Preferred mix: Attached to hardscape (wood or rock) — rhizome must NOT be buried
Why coffee-leaf anubias needs this mix
Coffee-leaf Anubias is an easy-going houseplant — it just wants a free-draining general mix that holds some moisture but never stays soggy.
- Coffee-leaf Anubias is adaptable, but like most houseplants it still needs air at the roots — a mix that drains freely while holding a working moisture reserve.
- A little perlite or bark stops ordinary compost compacting into an airless block over time, which is the slow, common cause of decline.
- It is not fussy about pH or special ingredients; getting the air-to-moisture balance right is what matters.
For the full picture on what makes up a good mix, see our guide to the main types of soil and potting media — it explains why each ingredient above behaves the way it does.
What goes wrong with the wrong mix
The wrong soil is one of the most common reasons coffee-leaf anubias struggles, and the damage often shows up weeks later as a watering problem. For this species specifically:
- Plain garden soil or a cheap, claggy compost compacts in the pot and slowly suffocates coffee-leaf anubias's roots.
- A pure peat mix that dries to a hard, water-repelling block is hard to re-wet and stresses the plant.
- No drainage hole turns even a good mix into a stagnant, root-rotting sump.
Reusing tired, compacted old compost or skipping the perlite. A free-draining mix in a pot with a hole solves most "why is it struggling" cases for coffee-leaf anubias.
pH — does it matter for coffee-leaf anubias?
Coffee-leaf Anubias is not fussy about pH — a slightly acidic to neutral mix (around pH 6.0-7.0), which a standard peat-free compost provides, is perfectly fine. No testing needed.
If you want to check or adjust it, the soil pH guide walks through testing and the safe ways to nudge a mix more acidic or more alkaline.
DIY mix vs a bagged one
A decent bagged houseplant compost works for coffee-leaf anubias as long as you mix in perlite for air. The simple DIY ratio above is cheap and more reliable than a budget bag alone.
Drainage and the pot
A pot with a drainage hole and a saucer you empty after watering is all coffee-leaf anubias needs — the free-draining mix does the rest.
Refresh coffee-leaf anubias's mix every 18-24 months; even good compost slumps and compacts, and fresh, airy mix is often the simplest fix for a tired plant. When the time comes, our repotting guide for coffee-leaf anubias covers the timing and technique step by step.
Coffee-leaf Anubias soil — frequently asked questions
What is the best soil mix for coffee-leaf anubias?
3 parts peat-free houseplant compost : 1 part perlite : 1 part orchid bark or coco chips (optional). Coffee-leaf Anubias is adaptable, but like most houseplants it still needs air at the roots — a mix that drains freely while holding a working moisture reserve.
Can I use normal potting soil for coffee-leaf anubias?
Plain garden soil or a cheap, claggy compost compacts in the pot and slowly suffocates coffee-leaf anubias's roots. A decent bagged houseplant compost works for coffee-leaf anubias as long as you mix in perlite for air. The simple DIY ratio above is cheap and more reliable than a budget bag alone.
Does coffee-leaf anubias need a special pH?
Coffee-leaf Anubias is not fussy about pH — a slightly acidic to neutral mix (around pH 6.0-7.0), which a standard peat-free compost provides, is perfectly fine. No testing needed.
Should I buy a bagged mix or make my own for coffee-leaf anubias?
A decent bagged houseplant compost works for coffee-leaf anubias as long as you mix in perlite for air. The simple DIY ratio above is cheap and more reliable than a budget bag alone.
How often should I refresh the soil for coffee-leaf anubias?
Refresh coffee-leaf anubias's mix every 18-24 months; even good compost slumps and compacts, and fresh, airy mix is often the simplest fix for a tired plant. A pot with a drainage hole and a saucer you empty after watering is all coffee-leaf anubias needs — the free-draining mix does the rest.
Keep reading
- Coffee-leaf Anubias care — the full brief (light, water, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- How often to water coffee-leaf anubias — the schedule the mix feeds into
- Repotting coffee-leaf anubias — when and how to refresh the mix
- Soil pH guide — test it and adjust it safely
- Should I water my plant? The simple check first
- Overwatered plant — signs and recovery
- Root rot — how the wrong soil starts it, and how to save the plant
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