Cultivar raised by the Dennerle nursery (no wild range)
Overview
Green Chameleon sword is an easy sword plant for the midground of a medium to large tank.
Did you know
Green Chameleon sword arrives from the nursery pure green. Dennerle says the olive to wine-red marbling appears only after a few months underwater in good light. Aquarium Plants Factory puts the change at several weeks.
Caring for Green Chameleon sword
Plant Green Chameleon sword in a nutrient-rich substrate or over root tabs, with the crown above the soil. It feeds mainly through its roots but also takes food from the water, so a liquid fertilizer helps.
Dennerle lists medium to high light and 20 to 30 mg/l CO2. Aquasabi rates it easy with medium light and no CO2. The marbling needs good light, and in a shaded spot the leaves tend to stay green. It handles 64 to 82°F (18 to 28°C) and a pH of 5 to 8.
Emersed nursery leaves often melt while new underwater leaves form. It propagates by plantlets on its flower stalks, which can be cut free once they have a few roots.
Good to know
Green Chameleon sword is a sword plant in the family Alismataceae and the larger sibling of Dennerle's Echinodorus 'Red Chameleon'. It forms a rosette of slightly wavy blades. Red Chameleon shows red even out of water and stays near 30 cm.
In the wild
Green Chameleon sword is a Dennerle cultivar with no wild range. Dennerle bred it from Echinodorus 'Simply Red' and does not name the second parent, which Aquarium Plants Factory calls a green one. The swords behind it come from the wetlands of the Americas. They root in soft mud and switch between emersed and submersed growth with the seasons.
Common questions
Does Green Chameleon 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 Green Chameleon sword need CO2?
No, but it helps. Green Chameleon sword can grow without injected CO2, and added CO2 makes it grow faster.
How much light does Green Chameleon sword need?
Green Chameleon sword wants medium light. A light sold for planted tanks covers it.
Does Green Chameleon sword need root tabs?
They help. Green Chameleon 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 Green Chameleon sword?
Green Chameleon sword propagates by plantlets. Small plantlets form on the plant and can be detached once they have a few roots.
How tall does Green Chameleon sword grow?
Green Chameleon sword grows to about 15.7 in (40 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)