# Flowering aponogeton ?



## mbraga92 (Aug 25, 2013)

I planted some bulbs from petco in a package with mixed onion aponogeton and some red plant that has many leaves. I have no idea what it may be. I think its some red lilly? Both the red lilly and the aponogeton have sprouted this long stalk stem going towards the surface of the water. Are they going to sprout a flower? if so, do they die off after flowering? How would i be able to retreive seeds from the flower? Or do they seed themselves? Thanks guys.


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## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

thats cool. aponogeton are really easy to flower and they last open for several days. if u let them be there they will send down seeds into ur tank and will eventually sprout a bunch of little plants.. post a pic or two, see what u got


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

Many species are self fertile so you just need to use a paint brush to fertilize it.

They don't die after flowering, but they are essentially annual plants and will die off and go dormant for a few weeks/months then grow back.

Very good source of info about aponogetons
http://www.calgaryaquariumsociety.com/Articles/The_Genus_Aponogeton.html


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## mbraga92 (Aug 25, 2013)

Heres a pic of the flower. Im assuming i can rub the 'buds' of the flower together?


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

Probably need to use a paint brush so you don't damage it.


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## asukawashere (Mar 11, 2009)

Congrats on the Aponogeton flowers! I'd keep an eye on your lily, however. It's far more likely the long stalk on the lily is an attempt to produce surface leaves than a flower. If the plant figures out where the surface is, it'll stop producing underwater leaves and send out nothing but surface ones—if you don't want it to block light from your other plants, you'd best cut off any long stems like that before they reach the surface. Indoor flowering of dwarf lily plants is rare.


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

It is rare but you can get it to flower if you have intense lighting and you let it get to a certain size. I let my lily take over a 55g tank with 220w of PC lighting and it flowered. But if you don't let it grow big enough or it doesn't have enough light it won't flower.


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## Lornek8 (Jul 30, 2013)

I have an aponogeton from one of those packs in my tank. Just removed 10 little seedlings this week. I didn't do anything to try and pollinate them, just let them be. Some opened up slightly submerged or ended up that way after being trapped under my hood. I guess possibly some flowers may have released some pollen which floated on the water surface.


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