Amazon Sword (Echinodorus amazonicus) Care Guide

Classic Amazon sword with long, narrow lance-shaped leaves up to 50 cm. Hardy heavy root feeder; ideal as a centerpiece in larger tanks with good substrate.

Overview

Echinodorus amazonicus is an aquatic plant in the family Alismataceae. Classic Amazon sword with long, narrow lance-shaped leaves up to 50 cm. Hardy heavy root feeder; ideal as a centerpiece in larger tanks with good substrate.

Taxonomy

Family: Alismataceae
Genus: Echinodorus
Scientific name: Echinodorus amazonicus

Habitat

Native to the Amazon basin (Brazil). Family Alismataceae. Forms a rosette of long lanceolate leaves on short petioles and reproduces in cultivation through plantlets on submerged flowering stems and through division of the rhizome.

Growth requirements

Light: medium (≈50-80 PAR at substrate)
CO2: optional (CO2 improves growth and coloration)
Temperature: 22-28 °C
pH: 6-7.5
GH: 3-14 °dGH
Substrate: nutrient-rich aquasoil or fertilised gravel
Nutrient demand: high
Growth rate: medium
Difficulty: beginner

Placement

Recommended placement: background
Maximum height: 50 cm

Propagation

Propagated vegetatively in cultivation; specific method depends on the morphological group of the plant.