By Hektor Jorgo
Most care information for anubias assumes a fully submerged planted tank, which can make it seem like an exclusively underwater plant. In practice, anubias is one of the more flexible aquarium plants in this respect — it grows readily out of water, which is exactly why it shows up so often in paludariums, vivariums, and riparium setups that mix aquatic and above-water sections.
Direct Answer: Yes, and It's a Common Paludarium/Vivarium Plant
Anubias grows well emersed — meaning the leaves and stem are above the waterline while the roots and rhizome stay at or near water level (or in consistently damp substrate/hardscape). This isn't a stretch for the plant: anubias naturally grows along riverbanks and on rocks in areas that experience both submerged and exposed conditions depending on water levels. The same rules that apply underwater largely carry over — the rhizome should sit on the surface of the hardscape or substrate, not buried, exactly as covered in our anubias rot guide for submerged growth.
Emersed vs. Submerged Growth: What Changes
The plant itself doesn't change dramatically between the two forms, but a few things differ:
- Leaf texture — emersed leaves tend to be thicker and more matte/leathery than the glossier leaves often seen underwater.
- Growth rate — emersed anubias often grows at a similar or slightly faster rate than submerged, given adequate humidity and light.
- Flowering — more commonly observed in emersed growth, where conditions more closely resemble the plant's natural above-water periods.
- Algae — emersed leaves generally don't develop the same algae issues that submerged leaves can, since they're not constantly wet and exposed to the same algae-favorable conditions covered in our algae guide. This is a notable contrast with fully-submerged slow-growing plants like java fern, which — as covered in our java fern algae guide — are prone to exactly the kind of long-term leaf-surface algae that emersed growth avoids.
Humidity and Light Needs Emersed
The main environmental factor that matters most for emersed anubias is humidity. In a closed or mostly-closed paludarium/vivarium, humidity is naturally higher and emersed anubias tends to do well. In a more open setup with significant air exchange, low humidity can cause leaf tip browning or slowed growth — similar in symptom (browning) to issues covered in plant-specific guides like our hornwort browning guide, though the underlying cause is different. Indirect or moderate light is generally sufficient; anubias doesn't need intense lighting in either growth form.
Transitioning Between Environments
Moving an anubias between submerged and emersed conditions (or the reverse) often triggers a period where the plant sheds leaves that developed in the old environment and grows new leaves suited to the new one. This can look alarming if you're not expecting it, but as long as the rhizome stays firm and isn't buried, new growth typically follows within a few weeks. It's the same underlying resilience that makes anubias forgiving of the rhizome-rot mistakes covered in our anubias rot guide — the plant tends to prioritize keeping the rhizome alive even when shedding leaves.
Quick Reference
- Anubias grows well both submerged and emersed (out of water)
- Emersed leaves are often thicker and more matte than submerged leaves
- High humidity matters for emersed growth — low humidity can cause leaf damage
- The rhizome should stay exposed (not buried) in either growing environment
- Flowering is more commonly seen in emersed anubias
- Expect some leaf shedding when transitioning between submerged and emersed
- A popular, low-maintenance choice for paludarium and vivarium hardscape
