Cultivar of Echinodorus

Red Devil sword

Echinodorus 'Red Devil'

One of 21 cultivars of Echinodorus · See all cultivars →

Also known as Echinodorus Red Devil, Red Devil Amazon sword, Echinodorus 'Devil's Eye'

FreshwaterRosetteSide shootsPlantletsRhizome division

Cultivars · Echinodorus

See all 21 →

Care at a glance

Light: Medium light
CO2: CO₂ beneficial
Temperature: 68–82°F; 20–28°C
Max height: 11.8 in; 30 cm

Growth rate: Fast
Placement: Midground
Type: Rosette
pH: 6.0–7.5
Hardness: 3–15 dGH
Spread: 9.8 in (25 cm)
Nutrient uptake: Root + water column
Growth region: Submersed
Difficulty: Easy
Family: Alismataceae
Origin: Cultivated hybrid (no wild range)

Overview

One of the smaller red swords, topping out around 25 to 30cm, which makes it a good midground centerpiece or a background plant in a nano tank. Give it a nutrient-rich substrate with root tabs and brighter light to pull out the deep red color, since dim light leaves it mostly green. CO2 is optional but helps growth and color. Keep water parameters stable, as sudden swings can trigger melt.

In the wild

A nursery-produced hybrid with no wild population, bred from a cross of several Echinodorus species. Like its parents it grows as a compact submersed rosette. New leaves emerge deep ruby to burgundy and settle toward reddish green as they mature.

Good to know

Echinodorus 'Red Devil' is a cultivar name, not a wild species, so it has no valid Latin binomial and is written in single quotes. The genus Echinodorus is in the Alismataceae. Its red pigmentation comes from anthocyanins that build up under stronger light, the same mechanism behind other red swords.

Did you know

The redder you want it, the more light you give it. This sword can shift from mostly green to near-burgundy purely based on lighting intensity, so the same plant looks like a different variety in a high-light tank.