Amazon sword

Water parameters

Light and nutrients

Substrate type: nutrient preferred. Propagation: runners.

Substrate compatibility

With fish

Origin and habitat

Native to the Amazon River basin and surrounding drainages in Brazil, where it grows in shallow, slow-moving river margins and floodplain lakes. The species (Echinodorus grisebachii, often sold as E. amazonicus or E. bleheri, though taxonomy is debated) is one of the most recognizable and widely sold aquarium plants in the world. Large rosettes of broad, bright green leaves (20–50 cm long in mature plants) grow from a central crown. In the wild, the plant often grows partially emersed, with leaves extending above the water surface. Fully submerged aquarium specimens produce narrower, more translucent leaves. Amazon swords are heavy root feeders; the extensive root system can be 30 cm deep in loose substrate. The plant has been in the aquarium hobby since the 1930s and remains a staple of community tank setups.

Care notes

Heavy root feeder; needs nutrient-rich substrate or regular root tab supplementation to thrive long-term. Bare gravel with no root nutrition produces stunted plants with translucent, yellowing leaves within 2-3 months. Plant the crown (where leaves emerge) at substrate level, with roots buried in at least 5 cm of substrate. Push root tabs into the substrate near the base every 2-3 months. Iron deficiency causes yellow leaves with green veins (interveinal chlorosis), especially visible on new growth. Moderate lighting is sufficient for healthy growth; high light isn't necessary and can promote algae on the broad leaf surfaces. CO2 injection accelerates growth but isn't required. Without CO2, growth is slower but the plant still develops into a healthy, large specimen. Mature Amazon swords are big: 30–50 cm tall and 30 cm in diameter, so plan for the eventual size. A single specimen can dominate a 60-liter tank and shade out everything around it. In larger tanks, swords make excellent background or midground focal points. Propagation is by adventitious plantlets on flower stalks: the plant sends up a long runner that produces small plantlets at each node. Once the plantlets develop 4-5 leaves and visible roots, detach and plant separately. Trim yellowing older (outer) leaves at the base. The plant continuously produces new leaves from the center while outer leaves age and die, so regular trimming of old leaves keeps it looking clean.

Further reading

• Setting up a breeding tank
• CO2 injection for planted tanks: what it costs, what it does, and when to skip it