Cultivated hybrid (no wild range); bred in Germany
Overview
Red rubin sword is an easy sword with broad wine-red leaves. Use it as a single midground or background specimen in a larger tank, where the leaves have room to spread.
Did you know
Red rubin sword's deep red is the plant protecting itself. The pigments are anthocyanins, the same compounds that redden autumn maple leaves, and they help shield the leaf tissue.
Caring for Red rubin sword
Plant Red rubin sword in a nutrient-rich substrate, or push root tabs under the crown. Keep the rhizome itself above the substrate so it does not rot.
Medium light is enough, and brighter light brings out a deeper red. It grows without injected CO2, though CO2 darkens the red and speeds growth. It feeds through its leaves as well as its roots, so a liquid fertilizer helps alongside the tabs. Keep the water at 63 to 82°F (17 to 28°C).
It grows at a moderate pace. New plants form as plantlets on the flower stalks, and the crown can be split at the rhizome. Trim old outer leaves at the base as they tatter.
Good to know
Red rubin sword belongs to the family Alismataceae. Hans Barth of Dessau, Germany, raised the cultivar, and it has been in the trade since the early 1990s. Like most cultivated Echinodorus, it is sterile or nearly so and is propagated vegetatively rather than from seed. A narrow-leaf form of 'Rubin' is also sold.
In the wild
Red rubin sword does not exist in the wild. It is a man-made cross between Echinodorus horemanii 'Red' and Echinodorus 'Barthii', so it has no natural range. The parent species come from slow-moving and standing fresh waters in South America. There, swords grow rooted in soft mud and spend part of the year submersed and part emersed along the bank.
Common questions
Does Red rubin 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 rubin sword need CO2?
No, but it helps. Red rubin sword can grow without injected CO2, and added CO2 makes it grow faster.
How much light does Red rubin sword need?
Red rubin sword wants medium light. A light sold for planted tanks covers it.
Does Red rubin sword need root tabs?
They help. Red rubin 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 Red rubin sword?
Red rubin sword propagates by rhizome division and plantlets. Cut the rhizome into pieces with several leaves each, then tie or plant each piece. Small plantlets form on the plant and can be detached once they have a few roots.
How tall does Red rubin sword grow?
Red rubin sword grows to about 19.7 in (50 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)