Cultivar (hybrid of Echinodorus horemanii 'Red' x Echinodorus horizontalis, first produced 1986)
Overview
Rose sword is an undemanding sword for the background. Its new submersed leaves flush pink with red-brown spotting.
Did you know
Rose sword only shows the pink new-leaf color behind its name once it has converted from its emersed nursery form. Freshly potted plants often look plain green at first.
Caring for rose sword
Plant rose sword with the roots buried and the crown just above the substrate. It draws most of its food through its roots, so a rich substrate and root tabs bring out the best color.
Rose sword tolerates low to moderate light and needs no added CO2. The pink of the new leaves deepens under stronger light. Keep the water at 72 to 82°F (22 to 28°C).
It grows at a moderate pace and spreads by runners, plantlets and rhizome division. Remove runners if you want to limit its spread, and trim old outer leaves at the base.
Good to know
Rose sword is a hybrid that Tropica registered in 1986, a cross of Echinodorus horemanii 'Red' and Echinodorus horizontalis. It belongs to the Alismataceae, the water-plantain family, not the aroids. As a hybrid it is sterile in the usual sense, so it is bulked up vegetatively rather than from seed. Like all swords, it forms a stout basal rosette rooted into soft substrate.
In the wild
Rose sword is a garden hybrid with no wild range, bred in cultivation rather than collected. Its parent species come from Central and South America. There, wild Echinodorus grow as marsh and riverbank plants that spend part of the year emersed.
Common questions
Does rose 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 rose sword need CO2?
No. Rose sword grows well without added CO2 and suits a low-tech tank.
How much light does rose sword need?
Rose sword is a low-light plant, and the light that comes with a standard tank kit is enough for it.
Does rose sword need root tabs?
Yes. Rose 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 rose sword?
Rose sword propagates by plantlets, runners and rhizome division. Small plantlets form on the plant and can be detached once they have a few roots. New plants grow along its runners. Cut one free once it has roots and plant it.
How tall does rose sword grow?
Rose 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)
Medium lightBackground21.7 in (55 cm)