Red Devil sword

Care at a glance

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.

Related plants

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  Aflame sword

  Echinodorus 'Aflame'

  High lightMidground11.8 in (30 cm)
• Oriental sword

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• Apart sword

  Echinodorus 'Apart'

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• Hadi Red Pearl sword

  Echinodorus 'Hadi Red Pearl'

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• 

  Ozelot sword

  Echinodorus 'Ozelot'

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• Fancy Twist sword

  Echinodorus 'Fancy Twist'

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