Cultivated hybrid (no wild range); bred at the Rataj nursery, Czech Republic
Overview
Tricolor sword is a compact, easy sword for the midground, or for the background of smaller tanks.
Did you know
Tricolor sword shows all three of its colors at once. New leaves emerge pink to yellow-green with brown speckles and mature to dark green, so one crown reads like a mixed planting.
Caring for Tricolor sword
Plant Tricolor sword in a nutrient-rich substrate with root tabs, and keep the crown above the surface. Give it room, since even a compact sword builds a wide rosette. Nurseries farm it emersed, so pots usually arrive in the land form.
In medium light without CO2, it stays around 30 cm and grows steadily. Strong light with CO2 and generous fertilizing push it past 40 cm and speed up leaf turnover. Keep the water at 68 to 82°F (20 to 28°C).
Its flower stalks carry adventitious plantlets even underwater. Pin them down and cut them free once they root. Divide large crowns at the rhizome, and cut tired or algae-coated outer leaves off at the base.
Good to know
Tricolor sword is a cultivar of Echinodorus, the sword plants, in the family Alismataceae. The name means three-colored and refers to the foliage. It is a Rataj cross of several species rather than a form of any one of them. Shops often label it a variety of Echinodorus uruguayensis, or of Aquarius uruguayensis under the newer genus name. The plant sold in the hobby is the hybrid, not that species. Its submersed leaves are elongate with wavy, almost curly edges.
In the wild
Tricolor sword has no wild habitat. It is a hybrid bred at the Rataj aquatic plant nursery in the Czech Republic and introduced to the hobby in 2004. Its parents are South American Echinodorus species of marshes and river margins. They grow emersed on wet ground for part of the year and submersed when flooded, and the hybrid keeps that amphibious habit.
Common questions
Does Tricolor 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 Tricolor sword need CO2?
No, but it helps. Tricolor sword can grow without injected CO2, and added CO2 makes it grow faster.
How much light does Tricolor sword need?
Tricolor sword wants medium light. A light sold for planted tanks covers it.
Does Tricolor sword need root tabs?
Yes. Tricolor 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 Tricolor sword?
Tricolor 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 Tricolor sword grow?
Tricolor sword grows to about 15.7 in (40 cm) tall. It grows fast, so expect to trim it often.
Medium lightBackground19.7 in (50 cm)
High lightBackground19.7 in (50 cm)
Medium lightBackground19.7 in (50 cm)
Medium lightBackground19.7 in (50 cm)