Cultivated hybrid (no wild range); bred in Germany
Overview
Ozelot Green sword is an easy sword plant that works as a centerpiece in the midground.
Did you know
The spots that give Ozelot swords their cat-print name show strongest on each freshly unfurled leaf. A well-fed plant always carries a gradient, from boldly spotted young leaves to calmer old ones.
Caring for Ozelot Green sword
Plant Ozelot Green sword in a deep, nutrient-rich substrate or over root tabs, with the crown just above the surface. Give it room, since a mature rosette reaches around 40 cm tall and 30 cm wide. It also takes food from the water, so a liquid fertilizer helps.
Medium light is enough. The spotting shows on new leaves even without CO2, though CO2 and steady fertilization make the rosette fuller. Keep it at 72 to 82°F (22 to 28°C) and a pH of 6.5 to 7.5.
Cut old, shaded leaves at the base. It propagates the classic sword way, by plantlets on submersed flower stalks, and large crowns can be divided at the rhizome.
Good to know
Ozelot Green sword belongs to the family Alismataceae. It keeps the trademark of the Ozelot group, dark red-brown spots scattered across the blade, but carries them on a light green ground. The original Ozelot has red-tinted leaves instead. Submersed leaves stay oval on longish stems, and the plant runs a touch smaller than the red form. Ozelot Green is a cultivar name, not a species, and it has thrown further mutations such as Echinodorus 'Rainers Felix'.
In the wild
Ozelot Green sword is a cultivated sword plant with no wild habitat. It is a green-leaved selection from the Echinodorus 'Ozelot' breeding line, hybrid swords raised in German nurseries. The cross behind Ozelot is usually given as Echinodorus schlueteri 'Leopard' with the red hybrid Echinodorus barthii. Like other cultivated swords, it grows emersed in nursery culture and submersed in the aquarium.
Common questions
Does Ozelot Green 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 Ozelot Green sword need CO2?
No, but it helps. Ozelot Green sword can grow without injected CO2, and added CO2 makes it grow faster.
How much light does Ozelot Green sword need?
Ozelot Green sword wants medium light. A light sold for planted tanks covers it.
Does Ozelot Green sword need root tabs?
They help. Ozelot Green 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 Ozelot Green sword?
Ozelot Green 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 Ozelot Green sword grow?
Ozelot Green sword grows to about 15.7 in (40 cm) tall. It grows at a moderate pace.
Medium lightBackground19.7 in (50 cm)
High lightBackground19.7 in (50 cm)
Medium lightBackground19.7 in (50 cm)
Medium lightBackground19.7 in (50 cm)