Anubias Barteri

Native to West Africa, Anubias barteri var. barteri is one of those plants that makes you wonder why people struggle with planted tanks. Dark, waxy, broad leaves grow from a thick horizontal stem called a rhizome, and the whole plant attaches to hardscape rather than rooting into substrate. You tie or wedge it onto driftwood or rock, and it grabs on over a few weeks.

Growth is genuinely slow, sometimes just a leaf or two per month, but each leaf can persist for years. That slow pace also means algae love the leaves, especially in high-light setups, so keeping light moderate or low actually works in your favor here. It handles a wide range of water conditions without complaint, which is why you see it in everything from betta tanks to community cichlid setups.

Shrimp adore grazing the leaf surfaces, and bettas often park themselves on the broad leaves. Propagation is straightforward: split the rhizome with a clean cut once it's long enough, making sure each piece has several leaves and roots.

Browse planted tank photos and you'll spot Anubias in almost every aquascape style imaginable.