Cultivated hybrid that appeared in Ukraine, probably a cross of Echinodorus uruguayensis ('Horemanii Red') and Echinodorus barthii; no wild range
Overview
Red Diamond sword is one of the few truly red swords that fits a mid-sized tank, and it is of medium difficulty. Its rosette grows 20 to 30 cm tall and about as wide, which makes it a natural solitary centerpiece in the midground.
Did you know
Red Diamond sword solves the classic red sword dilemma. Deep ruby horemanii-type swords used to mean a big, slow, demanding plant. This one packs that color into a rosette compact enough for a 60 cm tank.
Caring for Red Diamond sword
Plant Red Diamond sword with the roots buried and the crown just above the substrate. Tissue culture and emersed pots are farmed out of the water, so expect the usual sword conversion melt after planting. Be patient for the first weeks and trim spent leaves at the base.
Medium light is enough to keep the leaves red, and more light deepens the ruby tone. It grows without injected CO2, though added CO2 speeds it up. Feed it at the roots with a rich substrate or root tabs, since better substrate nutrition is what drives abundant growth. Keep the water at 68 to 82°F (20 to 28°C).
It grows at a moderate pace and makes new plants from plantlets and rhizome division. Old leaves grow slowly enough to collect algae, so retire them at the base before they turn into a problem.
Good to know
Red Diamond sword is a sword plant in the family Alismataceae that first appeared as a culture in Ukraine. Tropica says it is probably a cross of Echinodorus uruguayensis 'Horemanii Red' with E. barthii. It keeps the narrow, ruby-red sword-shaped leaves of the horemanii side, 15 to 25 cm long. The plant stays far more compact than either parent line. It is a distinct cultivar, not a trade name for the red form of E. horemanii, though shops have used the name for both.
In the wild
Red Diamond sword is a nursery hybrid with no wild habitat of its own. Its parent lines trace back to the rivers and streams of southern South America. Echinodorus uruguayensis, whose red horemanii form supplied the color, grows submersed in cool, clear flowing water. E. barthii is itself a cultivated red sword line.
Common questions
Does Red Diamond 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 Red Diamond sword need CO2?
No, but it helps. Red Diamond sword can grow without injected CO2, and added CO2 makes it grow faster.
How much light does Red Diamond sword need?
Red Diamond sword wants medium light. A light sold for planted tanks covers it.
Does Red Diamond sword need root tabs?
Yes. Red Diamond sword draws much of its food through its roots. Push root tabs in near it, or grow it in a nutrient-rich soil.
How do you propagate Red Diamond sword?
Red Diamond 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 Red Diamond sword grow?
Red Diamond sword grows to about 11.8 in (30 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)