Kenya tree coral
Capnella sp. · also called Kenya tree, Tree coral, Nephthea (commonly confused), Cauliflower coral
The Kenya tree is an extremely hardy, fast-growing branching soft coral that sways gracefully in the current. It is one of the most beginner-proof corals available — so easy, in fact, that it readily drops branches that re-attach and can become a weed in established reefs.
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Quick facts
| Size | Bushy, branching tree-shaped colony, typically 8-20 cm tall, branching repeatedly as it grows. |
| Lifespan | 5–50 years |
| Social needs | solo |
| Native region | Indo-Pacific |
| Origin | Old World |
| Climate | 🌴 Tropical |
| Water type | 🌊 Marine |
| Family | Nephtheidae |
| Genus | Capnella |
Part of the Soft Corals
Soft corals such as leathers, colt, cloves, Anthelia, gorgonians and Sympodium. Non-skeletal octocorals with flexible, often swaying colonies and eight-tentacled polyps; mostly hardy, beginner-friendly reef corals driven by photosynthesis and tolerant of a wide range of light, flow and nutrients.
Habitat & space requirements
From the minimum an animal needs to be kept humanely, up to the ideal setup. Bigger is almost always better — minimums are floors, not targets.
Life & growth stages
How this animal changes through its life — each stage often has its own care, diet and space needs.
Color & pattern variants
Natural variants occur in the wild; selectively bred (man-made) variants were developed in captivity.
representativePink/peach Kenya tree →
Soft pink-to-peach colored form, the most common wild coloration in the trade.
representativeBrown/tan Kenya tree →
Plain tan-brown form heavily loaded with zooxanthellae; extremely hardy and fast-growing.
representativeBrown Kenya Tree →
The standard tan-to-brown Capnella with a pulsing, tree-like form. One of the hardiest and most invasive softies in the hobby.
Tip: Mount on an isolated rock — it drops branches that settle and root everywhere, quickly taking over a tank.
representativeGreen/Olive Kenya Tree →
A greenish-olive pigment form of the same coral, slightly more attractive than the plain brown. Equally fast-growing.
Tip: Keep nutrients moderate; in very clean (ULNS) tanks Capnella can shrink and lose color since it feeds partly on water column nutrients.
representativePink/Pastel Kenya Tree →
An uncommon softer pink or cream-tinted form. Color is subtle and partly lighting-dependent.
Tip: Moderate light is plenty — Capnella is non-photosynthetic-leaning and high PAR offers no benefit, just more nuisance algae competition.
representativeColt Coral (Cladiella, sister to Kenya Tree) →
Closely related thick-fingered soft tree often sold alongside Kenya tree, with chunkier white-to-tan branches. Less invasive than true Capnella.
Tip: Give moderate flow to help it shed its waxy mucus coat periodically; stagnant flow lets the mucus trap detritus and cause rot.
representativePulsing Kenya Tree →
A form noted for visibly pulsing/contracting polyps along the branches. Same hardy weed-like nature as the standard.
Tip: Provide gentle, indirect flow to encourage the pulsing display; direct laminar flow makes it clamp shut instead.
representativeKenya Tree (Standard Brown/Tan) →
A soft, pulsing arborescent leather coral (Capnella) in muted brown-tan tones with fuzzy polyped branches that resemble a small bare tree. The textbook beginner soft coral.
Tip: Place in moderate-to-high flow to keep detritus off and encourage the branches to drop daughter colonies; it thrives in low light and lower-nutrient-tolerant conditions, so almost any spot works.
representativeNeon Green Kenya Tree →
A color-selected Capnella whose polyps and branches show a fluorescent green cast instead of the usual brown, glowing softly under blue light. A more decorative take on the weedy classic.
Tip: Give it blue-leaning light to bring out the green and keep moderate flow so the colony pulses and self-fragments; isolate it somewhat since it spreads by dropping branchlets onto nearby rock.
representativeGreen Kenya Tree →
The widely-sold green form of *Capnella*, with minty-green stalks and branches and slightly darker, often maroon-tinged polyps. A classic beginner softie that sways in flow and grows fast.
Tip: Place low-to-mid in the rockwork under moderate light and moderate flow. It is very forgiving and unfussy on parameters, though vendors generally cite medium light (roughly 50-250 PAR) and moderate-to-strong flow for best growth and color, so it does not need a premium top spot.
representativeNeon (Toxic) Green Kenya Tree →
A brighter, fluorescent neon-green form (sometimes traded as 'Toxic Green' or 'Neon Toxic Green') that glows noticeably more than the standard green. The vivid stalks and polyps are the draw.
Tip: Give it moderate light to bring out the neon fluorescence, with moderate flow to keep the branches swaying; avoid burying it in deep shadow where the color washes out.
representativeSuper Green Kenya Tree (Reefkoi) →
A striking, intensely fluorescent neon-green Kenya tree noted for growing into a larger, fuller colony instead of constantly self-fragging like the weedy brown strain. Branching softie shape with vivid green coloration that pops under blue/actinic light.
Tip: Mid-level placement with moderate light and flow; because it does not self-propagate as aggressively as the common strain, let it mature in one spot rather than expecting it to spread quickly.
representativePink Kenya Tree →
A pink-toned color form, ranging from soft cream-pink to deeper pink/red stalks and polyps, offering an unexpected pop of color versus the typical brown Kenya tree.
Tip: Low-to-mid placement with moderate (or even medium-to-low) flow and modest light; the pink tone holds without high-intensity lighting, so it is forgiving on placement.
representativeYellow Kenya Tree →
A less-common yellow form with a bright yellow trunk and branches, sometimes shading to green with pinkish polyp tips. Among the harder-to-find of the standard Kenya tree color variants.
Tip: Vendors list medium-to-high light (roughly 150-450 PAR) and moderate flow to help hold the yellow coloration; give it a slightly brighter spot than the brown or pink forms.
representativeMoney Dance Kenya Tree Leather →
A named neon-green Kenya tree leather offered as small aquacultured frags roughly 1.25-1.5 inches when fully expanded. Bright green, fast-dividing branching softie.
Tip: Does not need intense light; moderate light and moderate flow are plenty. A low-to-mid placement lets it expand and divide as it grows.
representativeORA Aquacultured Capnella (Kenya Tree) →
A short-branched, aquacultured Kenya tree with a greenish-tan base and darker brown, well-extended polyps marked by distinctive white striping that sets it apart from other Kenya trees.
Tip: Easy and resilient. Moderate light and moderate flow at a low-to-mid spot; it stands erect when happy and the polyps retract and the body falls limp when disturbed, which is normal behavior.