TankBud

Marble queen sword

Echinodorus cordifolius

Also known as Spade leaf sword, Radican sword, Echinodorus cordifolius 'Marble Queen', Echinodorus 'Tropica Marble Queen', Creeping burhead, Aquarius cordifolius

FreshwaterRosettePlantletsRhizome division

Marble queen sword (Echinodorus cordifolius)
Prenn · CC BY-SA 3.0

Care at a glance

Light
Medium light
CO2
CO₂ beneficial
Temperature
72–82°F
22–28°C
Max height
19.7 in
50 cm
Growth rate
Medium
Placement
Background
Type
Rosette
pH
6.2–7.5
Hardness
4–12 dGH
Spread
11.8 in (30 cm)
Nutrient uptake
Root + water column
Growth region
Submersed or emersed
Difficulty
Easy
Family
Alismataceae
Origin
Mexico and southern United States

Overview

Marble queen sword is an easy sword plant that gets large, so it belongs in the background of a tall, wide tank.

Did you know

Marble queen sword can climb right out of a tank. Given bright light and a long day, its flower stalk arches over the rim and roots wherever it touches down. That habit is where the old nickname creeping burhead comes from.

Caring for marble queen sword

Plant marble queen sword in a rich substrate or over plenty of root tabs, with the crown just above the surface. It is a heavy root feeder and also takes food from the water, so a liquid fertilizer helps. Keep it at 72 to 82°F (22 to 28°C) and a pH of 6.2 to 7.5.

CO2 and good light sharpen the marbling. Under strong light and a long photoperiod, it sends leaves up to and out of the surface. Give it headroom and let it grow emersed, or trim the tallest leaves to keep it submersed.

It propagates by daughter plants that sprout along the arching flower stalk. Pot them up once they have a few roots, and split older crowns.

Good to know

Echinodorus cordifolius is a true species in the family Alismataceae, also called the spade leaf sword. The 'Marble Queen' and 'Tropica Marble Queen' selections are variegated forms, with cream and white marbling on green, heart-shaped leaves. Submersed leaves stay shorter, on longer petioles, while emersed leaves are larger and tougher. The plant flowers readily above the waterline.

In the wild

Echinodorus cordifolius is native to the southern United States and Mexico. It grows in boggy ground, marshes, ditches and the muddy margins of slow water. It is a marsh plant by nature, spending much of its life emersed with spade-shaped leaves held above the water. It only goes fully submersed when flooded.

Common questions

Does marble queen 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 marble queen sword need CO2?

No, but it helps. Marble queen sword can grow without injected CO2, and added CO2 makes it grow faster.

How much light does marble queen sword need?

Marble queen sword wants medium light. A light sold for planted tanks covers it.

Does marble queen sword need root tabs?

They help. Marble queen 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 marble queen sword?

Marble queen sword 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 marble queen sword grow?

Marble queen sword grows to about 19.7 in (50 cm) tall. It grows at a moderate pace.

Related plants