TankBud

Echinodorus palifolius

Aquarius palifolius

Also known as Echinodorus palaefolius, Echinodorus argentinensis, Echinodorus argentiensis, Echinodorus grandiflorus 'Argentiniensis', Argentine sword, Argentinensis sword

FreshwaterRosettePlantletsRhizome division

Echinodorus palifolius (Aquarius palifolius)
Mfrancoavellaneda · CC BY-SA 4.0

Care at a glance

Light
Medium light
CO2
No CO₂ needed
Temperature
73–82°F
23–28°C
Max height
39.4 in
100 cm
Growth rate
Fast
Placement
Background
Type
Rosette
pH
5.5–8.0
Hardness
0–30 dGH
Nutrient uptake
Root feeder
Growth region
Submersed or emersed
Difficulty
Easy
Family
Alismataceae
Origin
Eastern Brazil

Overview

Echinodorus palifolius is an easy, fast-growing sword plant for the background. Plan for its size, since it suits open-topped tanks and paludaria better than closed aquaria.

Did you know

When Echinodorus palifolius flowers on an emersed stalk, the inflorescence sprouts ready-made plantlets along its length. Each one can be pinched off and planted as a complete new sword.

Caring for Echinodorus palifolius

Plant Echinodorus palifolius in a deep, nutrient-rich substrate, with the roots buried and the crown just above the surface. It feeds heavily through its roots, so add root tabs as it grows.

Medium light suits it, and CO2 is unnecessary. It takes a wide range of water, from pH 5.5 to 8, at 73 to 82°F (23 to 28°C).

Submersed, it makes a background rosette of 30 to 40 cm. Once established, it insists on sending aerial leaves above the waterline, up to about 39 in (100 cm). Cutting those aerial leaves back holds it submersed for a while.

Splitting the rhizome resets an oversized plant. You can also propagate it from the plantlets it forms.

Good to know

Echinodorus palifolius is a sword plant in the family Alismataceae. It was long known by that name and is very widely traded under the misspelling palaefolius. Recent taxonomy moved most of the classic aquarium swords from Echinodorus into the genus Aquarius, so the accepted name is now Aquarius palifolius. It is its own species, not Echinodorus cordifolius, a separate sword the trade sometimes mixes it up with. It also goes by Argentine sword.

In the wild

Echinodorus palifolius is a bog plant from the hot lowlands of eastern Brazil. It grows in marshes, ditches and seasonally flooded ground, mostly emersed with its feet in wet soil. Flooded plants grow submersed for a time, but a strong plant always pushes back above the surface.

Common questions

Does Echinodorus palifolius need to be planted in the substrate?

Yes. Bury the roots and leave the crown, where the leaves join, just above the substrate.

Does Echinodorus palifolius need CO2?

No. Echinodorus palifolius grows well without added CO2.

How much light does Echinodorus palifolius need?

Echinodorus palifolius wants medium light. A light sold for planted tanks covers it.

Does Echinodorus palifolius need root tabs?

Yes. Echinodorus palifolius draws much of its food through its roots. Push root tabs in near it, or grow it in a nutrient-rich soil.

How do you propagate Echinodorus palifolius?

Echinodorus palifolius propagates by plantlets and rhizome division. Small plantlets form on the plant and can be detached once they have a few roots. Cut the rhizome into pieces with several leaves each, then tie or plant each piece.

How tall does Echinodorus palifolius grow?

Echinodorus palifolius grows to about 39.4 in (100 cm) tall. It grows fast, so expect to trim it often.

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