Pogostemon helferi

Pogostemon Helferi Sheet

• Difficulty: Average
• Family: Lamiaceae
• Gender: Pogostemon
• From: Asia
• Lighting design: High
• Temperature: 15º - 28º
• Growth: Medium
• PH: 5.0 to 7.0
• Hardness: 0 to 30
• Co2: Recommendable

Pogostemon Helferi Features

Also called Pogostemon “Daonoi” or “Downoi” (in Thai “little star”), Pogostemon Helferi has been known to science for over 120 years, however, it was discovered for aquaristic purposes in 1996 by Nonn Panitvong and Arthit Prasartkul , who found Him in the Thai province of Kanchanaburi, on the border with Myanmar. In just a small stretch, Pogostemon Helferi has become a very popular aquarium plant for the foreground and middle.

These authors found the species in a fast-flowing river with limestone soil. Plants grow on and between rocks, submerged during most of the rainy season in summer. During the fall and winter, the populations of Pogostemon Helferi dry out and form vertical shoots with striking flower spikes typical of the Pogostemon genus.

This species of Pogostemon is easy to grow if the specific requirements are met: sufficient light, ample supply of CO2 and adequate levels of fertilizer, including nitrate, phosphate, potassium and magnesium. The plant needs plenty of iron, to which it responds with a lush green color.
Insufficient light makes it spike, that is, the internodes lengthen and the color of the leaf changes to a yellowish tone.

Propagation is fairly easy, cut a bit below a node. You can shorten the lower leaves a bit so that the cutting has better retention in the substrate. This works with both the top and side cuts. Planting is best done with tweezers.

This species of plant is best suited to accentuate the middle ground in a small or nano aquarium. Or foreground in larger aquariums. It is also possible to attach this plant to wood or rocks. Pogostemon Helferi is also a plant suitable for paludarios and can be grown partially emerged.