This species has a very interesting life cycle. Pogostemon helferi normally loses all submersed leaves during the rainy season in the nature. What remains are the rhizomes, which sprout again. I have also seen this several times in my aquarium. The creeping "stems" are rhizomes and the leaves break off very easily. When the water level rises in nature, all leaves break off due to the high flow speed. Only when the water level falls and the water becomes clear again, new leaves form on the old rhizomes. - Christel Kasselmann