Golden Melon Sword

• Scientific Name: Echinodorus 'Golden Melon'

• Common Names: Golden Melon Sword, Golden Amazon Sword

Characteristics

• Appearance: Features broad, round to oval leaves with a distinct golden, lime-green, or honey-yellow coloration on new growth that matures into a warm green.

• Size: Grows 8–12+ inches (20–30+ cm) tall and wide, remaining somewhat more compact than standard Amazon Swords.

• Feeding Style: Heavy root feeder—relies heavily on substrate nutrients and root tabs packed with iron and nitrogen to maintain its vibrant yellow-gold color.

• Placement: Excellent focal point plant for midground or background placement in medium-to-large tanks.

Temperature

• Ideal Range: 70°F – 82°F (21°C – 28°C)

• Note: Thrives in standard tropical freshwater temperatures.

Lighting

• Requirement: Moderate to High

• Note: Bright lighting is necessary to bring out the bright golden-yellow hues on new leaves; low light causes the leaves to stay pale or dull green.

CO2

• Requirement: Not Required.

Propagation

• Method: Adventitious Plantlets / Runners or Crown Division

• How it works: Mature plants regularly send out long runner stems above the substrate that sprout small daughter plantlets. Once the plantlets form leaves and roots, snip them off and plant them into the substrate. Mature roots can also be split at the crown during tank maintenance.