Echinodorus Jaguar
Plant Profile
Echinodorus 'Jaguar' is an easygoing sword plant that brings a subtle, spotted pattern into your planted tank. Growing in a classic rosette shape, it produces bright green, oval leaves with rounded tips that are speckled with dark, reddish-brown spots. Maxing out around 16 inches tall, it works great for filling out background corners or adding structure behind midground hardscape in medium to large aquariums. Like most sword plants, it is naturally hardy and doesn't ask for a complex setup to stay healthy!
Key Features & Notes
- Bright green, rounded leaves feature dark speckled spots across new and developing foliage.
- Hardy rosette growth habit offers dense background coverage and simple maintenance.
- Adaptable species that grows consistently across a variety of low-tech and high-tech parameters.
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 central crown 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.
- Sword plants propagate through side shoots off of their leaves, which can be trimmed and replanted into the substrate. To control the size of your sword plant, you can remove the side shoots and older leaves.
Quick Facts
Listed information should be treated as general guidelines only. Team Buce Plant encourages you to do thorough research to ensure healthy growth!
| Attribute | Specification |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Echinodorus 'Jaguar' |
| Common Name(s) | Jaguar Sword, Echinodorus Jaguar |
| Family | Alismataceae |
| Plant Type / Taxonomy | Rosette plant / Cultivar |
| Care Difficulty | Easy |
| Light Requirement | Low to Moderate (Moderate to High for best spots) |
| CO2 Requirement | Not required (Optional) |
| Placement / Usage | Background / Midground Accent |
| Height / Size | 8–16 inches |
| Growth Rate | Moderate |
| Water Parameters | pH 5.5–8.0 |
| 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 keep the spots looking sharp on Echinodorus 'Jaguar'?
Giving the plant moderate-to-high lighting and placing root tabs near the root base helps keep the dark spots clearly visible against the bright green leaf color.
2. Does Echinodorus 'Jaguar' need CO2 injection to grow well?
No, it grows just fine in low-tech setups without pressurized CO2. Good substrate nutrition and decent light are usually all it needs to stay healthy and put out new leaves.
3. How do I keep Echinodorus 'Jaguar' from blocking light to smaller foreground plants?
As the plant fills out, simply trim off the larger outer leaves near the root crown with sharp scissors. Thinning it out every so often keeps the size in check and lets light reach the rest of your tank.