Cultivated hybrid bred by Hans Barth (Dessau, Germany, 1994) from E. uruguayensis 'horemanii red' x E. portoalegrensis
Overview
Apart sword is a low, compact sword for the midground. It stays smaller than a standard Amazon sword and is rated medium in difficulty.
Did you know
Apart sword was bred to keep the looks of the temperamental horemanii-type swords while dropping their strict soft-water and high-light demands. That makes it one of the more forgiving members of a demanding lineage.
Caring for Apart sword
Root Apart sword in a nutrient-rich substrate with root tabs, keeping the crown just above the surface. It feeds through both roots and leaves, so a liquid fertilizer helps as well.
Medium light is enough. Add CO2 if you want faster, denser growth. Keep the water at 68 to 82°F (20 to 28°C), with a pH of 5.5 to 7.5.
It grows at a moderate pace and throws plantlets from its flower stalks, which makes propagation easy. Detach a plantlet once it has a few roots, or cut off a side shoot that has a few leaves.
Good to know
Apart sword is a named cultivar in the family Alismataceae, so it carries a quoted name rather than a species binomial. Its 'horemanii red' parent is a form of Echinodorus uruguayensis, now accepted as Aquarius uruguayensis, with horemanii as a synonym. It produces ovate to lanceolate dark green leaves with distinctly lighter veins.
In the wild
Apart sword is a garden hybrid with no wild range. Hans Barth created it in 1994 in Dessau, Germany, by crossing E. uruguayensis 'horemanii red' with E. portoalegrensis. Those parent species come from cool, fast-flowing, acidic rivers in southeastern South America.
Common questions
Does Apart sword need to be planted in the substrate?
Yes. Bury the roots and leave the crown, where the leaves join, just above the substrate.
Does Apart sword need CO2?
No, but it helps. Apart sword can grow without injected CO2, and added CO2 makes it grow faster.
How much light does Apart sword need?
Apart sword wants medium light. A light sold for planted tanks covers it.
Does Apart sword need root tabs?
They help. Apart sword takes nutrients through both its roots and its leaves. Root tabs near its roots and a liquid fertilizer cover both.
How do you propagate Apart sword?
Apart sword propagates by side shoots and plantlets. Cut a side shoot off once it has a few leaves and plant it on its own. Small plantlets form on the plant and can be detached once they have a few roots.
How tall does Apart sword grow?
Apart sword grows to about 9.8 in (25 cm) tall. It grows at a moderate pace.
Low lightMidground7.9 in (20 cm)
Medium lightBackground19.7 in (50 cm)
High lightBackground19.7 in (50 cm)
Medium lightBackground19.7 in (50 cm)