Echinodorus macrophyllus Care Guide
Echinodorus macrophyllus is a large marsh sword from Brazil and Bolivia with broad heart-shaped leaves, grown mostly emersed in open tanks and paludariums.
Overview
Echinodorus macrophyllus is a large marsh plant in the family Alismataceae. It has big, robust, pale-green leaves with a sagittate-cordate (arrowhead to heart-shaped) blade, reported at roughly 20-30 cm long and 7-30 cm wide with 11-13 veins. The plant is mostly grown emersed, developing tall leathery leaves above the water, although it can also grow submersed for a time.
Taxonomy
- Family: Alismataceae
- Genus: Echinodorus
- Scientific name: Echinodorus macrophyllus
Habitat
The species is native to Brazil and Bolivia, where it grows in slow-moving waters such as swamps, marshes, riverbanks and temporarily flooded zones. This wetland origin explains its strong preference for emersed growth with the roots in water.
Tank requirements
- Temperature: 22-28 °C (72-82 °F)
- pH: 6.0-7.5
- GH: 3-14 °dGH
- Lighting: medium to high
- CO2: not required
- Growth rate: medium
- Maximum height: about 60 cm
- Placement: background; best in open-top tanks or paludariums
Planting and care
Because it naturally forms emersed leaves, it is most successful in open-top aquariums, paludariums and pond margins rather than fully submersed display tanks. It needs plenty of light and a rich substrate; in a smaller aquarium it will quickly push leaves above the surface. Submerged life is tolerated with strong root feeding, but the plant performs best with its roots in water and leaves in humid air.
Propagation
Propagation is vegetative, by adventitious plantlets and division of the rootstock; daughter plants are separated and replanted once rooted.