Echinodorus Red Wild Grass
Plant Profile
Echinodorus 'Red Wild Grass' is a charming and compact sword plant cultivar known for its versatile sizing and rich color shifts. Topping out around 8 inches in height, it avoids the massive footprints of typical Amazon Swords, making it an ideal midground focal point or accent plant in almost any aquarium size. New leaves emerge with a warm reddish-bronze tint before maturing into various shades of olive green depending on your light levels. Naturally hardy and undemanding, it delivers the iconic rosette style and bulletproof reliability of the sword plant family without taking over your entire layout.
Key Features & Notes
- Compact height makes it a versatile midground choice for small, medium, or large aquariums.
- Emergent foliage displays a reddish-bronze tone that matures into rich olive green.
- Hardy rosette growth habit adapts easily to low light and low-tech parameters without mandatory CO2 injection.
Care & Planting Instructions
- Prep the plant by removing it from the pot and clearing all rockwool from the roots.
- Plant the roots deeply into your aquarium soil, keeping the crown of the plant resting just above the substrate line to prevent rot.
- All Echinodorus are heavy root feeders that rely on rich substrate nutrition; placing root tabs near the base supports steady, healthy leaf development.
- Supplemental CO2 injection accelerates growth and encourages denser, fuller foliage, though the plant will still grow steadily in low-tech setups.
- Maintain stable water parameters to prevent leaf shedding during the initial transition period.
- Final size and coloration depend entirely on your specific aquarium conditions; please note that photos are a representation, and individual plants may vary.
Quick Facts
Listed information should be treated as general guidelines only. Team Buce Plant encourages you to do thorough research to ensure healthy growth!
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Echinodorus 'Red Wild Grass' |
| Common Name(s) | Echinodorus Red Wild Grass, Red Wild Grass Sword |
| Family | Alismataceae |
| Plant Type / Taxonomy | Rosette plant / Cultivar |
| Care Difficulty | Easy |
| Light Requirement | Moderate |
| CO2 Requirement | Not required (Optional) |
| Placement / Usage | Midground (or Foreground Accent) |
| Height / Size | 6–8+ inches |
| Growth Rate | Slow to Moderate |
| Water Parameters | pH 6.0–7.5 |
| Propagation Method | Separate new plantlets from the root crown or adventitious shoots |
| Origin | Cultivated cultivar (Species origin: South America) |
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do I prune an Echinodorus when it grows too large?
Prune older or overgrown outer leaves individually near the root crown using sharp aquascaping scissors. Avoid cutting across leaf blades, as damaged leaf tips will turn brown rather than regrowing.
2. Why are root tabs recommended for Echinodorus Red Wild Grass?
Sword plants absorb most of their nutrients through their root system rather than from the water column. Adding root tabs directly into your aquarium soil near the plant base provides the mineral supply needed for steady leaf development.
3. Why are the leaves on my new Echinodorus melting or turning yellow?
Sword plants are often grown emersed and shed their old emersed leaves when submerged to adapt to underwater growth. Keep water parameters stable and supply root tabs near the base to support new leaves.