PlantStem

Temple Plant

Hygrophila corymbosa

Southeast AsiaBeginner

TL;DR, Temple Plant

The default 'cheap big green stem' at SA aquarium shops, huge spear-shaped leaves on tall stems that fill a 60 cm tank's back wall in weeks. Will grow in almost any water (tolerates SA's harder tap better than most stems). Trim aggressively; old bottom growth sheds leaves. The cultivar 'Stricta' has narrower, frillier leaves.

Temple Plant (Hygrophila corymbosa) is a stem aquatic plant for the background of a planted tank. It reaches 30–60 cm under good conditions and grows at a fast rate. Light: low to high. CO₂: none to optional. Target 22–28 °C, pH 6.0–8.0, and 3–20 dGH. Substrate: Any, root and water-column feeder. Propagate via cuttings (top and side shoots).

LightLow to High
CO₂None to Optional

Care at a glance

Updated 24 May 20261 min read

Part of our complete guide to the planted aquarium.

Leaves yellowing, pitting, or new growth coming in pale or twisted? Work out what it’s short of in our plant deficiency guide.

Tank fit

The parameters that decide whether temple plant fits in your tank.

Parameters

Temperature22–28 °C

15 °C20 °C25 °C30 °C

pH6.0–8.0

4.05.06.07.08.0

Hardness3–20 dGH

0 dGH5 dGH10 dGH15 dGH20 dGH25 dGH

Height30–60 cm

020406080

LightLow to High

Low

Medium

High

CO₂None to Optional

None

Optional

Recommended

Required

GrowthFast

Slow

Medium

Fast

V. fast

FlowLow to Medium

Still

Low

Medium

High

V. high

Profile

Family

Acanthaceae

Type

Stem

Position

Background

Substrate

Any, root and water-column feeder

Propagation

Cuttings (top and side shoots)

Habitat

Marshes and pond edges of tropical Asia

Southeast Asia

Kit for this plant

Who it lives with

Tank-mate safety and the species this one is documented to thrive (or fail) alongside.

Weighing it against something similar? Compare Temple Plant head to head:

Frequently asked questions

Direct answers to the questions search engines and AI assistants surface most often about this species.

Does Temple Plant need CO₂?

CO₂ requirement: none to optional. Light requirement: low to high. Under low-tech conditions the plant grows at a fast rate.

What light level does Temple Plant need?

Temple Plant (Hygrophila corymbosa) needs low to high light. Run a photoperiod of 6–8 hours; longer photoperiods invite algae unless CO₂ and dosing are dialled in.

Where should Temple Plant be planted?

Position: background. Substrate: Any, root and water-column feeder It typically reaches 30–60 cm.

How do you propagate Temple Plant?

Propagation method: Cuttings (top and side shoots). Temple Plant is a stem plant.

What water parameters does Temple Plant tolerate?

Target 22–28 °C, pH 6.0–8.0, and 3–20 dGH. Flow tolerance: low to medium.

Is Temple Plant suitable for beginners?

Difficulty: 1/5. Almost unkillable, a solid first-tank choice.

Sources & further reading

More plants

Adjacent specimens in the catalogue.

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Plant

Anubias Barteri Nana

Anubias barteri var. nana

Almost impossible to kill. Tie or glue to hardscape, never bury the rhizome. Susceptible to Anubias rot if rhizome is damaged; trim brown leaves at the base.

BeginnerWest Africa (Cameroon)