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One hybrid family · 21 cultivars

Sword plant cultivars

Echinodorus

Modern sword plants are nursery hybrids, bred mostly in Europe from a handful of South American Echinodorus species and named like roses. Leaf color and size vary wildly; the plant underneath does not. Every cultivar is a heavy root feeder that grows from a central crown and earns its spot as a centerpiece.

Pick a variety

same rosette underneath

Compact cultivars · front half of the tank

Full-size cultivars · midground to background centerpiece

Care, the same for every cultivar

Every cultivar runs on the same recipe: nutritious substrate or root tabs, moderate light, and room for the crown.

CO2
CO₂ beneficial
Type
Rosette
Temperature
63–82°F (17–28°C)
pH
5.0–8.0

The garden roses of the aquarium

Almost none of these plants exists in the wild. Breeders, most famously Hans Barth of Dessau, crossed species like Echinodorus grisebachii, uruguayensis and horemanii and kept the seedlings with spotted, ruffled or red leaves. That is why they carry cultivar names in quotes rather than Latin species names, and why new ones still appear every few years.

Feed the roots, not the water

Swords build big root systems and take nearly everything through them. In plain gravel they stall within months, so plant them in a nutritious substrate or push root tabs around the crown a few times a year. The red and marbled cultivars also color up noticeably better with a steady iron supply.

Expect a wardrobe change

Nurseries grow swords above water, and the leaves that come in the pot are built for air. They yellow and melt over the first weeks while the crown pushes out true underwater leaves, which usually look longer, thinner and more colorful. Trim the old ones at the base and let the plant get on with it.

Common questions

Why is my sword losing all its leaves after planting?

It is swapping emersed leaves for submerged ones, which almost every sword does in its first month. As long as new leaves keep coming from the center of the crown, the plant is fine.

How do sword plants propagate?

A happy sword sends up a long stalk that grows plantlets along its length. Let each plantlet put out a few roots, then cut it free and plant it.

Do red sword cultivars need CO2?

No. They grow well without it, but medium light, iron and CO2 together are what produce the deep reds the catalogs photograph.

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