Red Pearl Sword

The Red Pearl Sword (Echinodorus 'Red Pearl') is a eye-catching hybrid aquarium plant known for its intense ruby-red to deep wine-colored young leaves and compact, bushy growth habit.

Name

• Scientific Name: Echinodorus 'Red Pearl'

• Common Names: Red Pearl Sword, Red Pearl Amazon Sword

Characteristics

• Appearance: Broad, spoon-shaped leaves. New foliage emerges in a striking dark ruby-red or deep violet-red, eventually maturing into a dark olive-green with red leaf veins.

• Size: Compact for an Echinodorus, growing 8–12 inches (20–30 cm) tall, making it a great focal point or midground plant.

• Feeding Style: Heavy root feeder—requires a nutrient-dense substrate or frequent supplementation with iron-rich root tabs to maintain its deep red foliage.

• Growth Rate: Moderate to fast under optimal conditions.

Temperature

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

• Note: Fits right into standard tropical aquarium setups.

Lighting

• Requirement: Moderate to High

• Note: Higher light levels are crucial to intensify and prolong the vibrant ruby-red color on new foliage. Under low light, leaves fade quickly to dull green.

CO2: Not Required!

Propagation

• Method: Adventitious Plantlets (Runners) or Crown Division

• How it works: Mature plants send out long flowering stalks that produce small daughter plantlets at the nodes. Once these plantlets develop a few leaves and roots, snip them off and plant them into the substrate. Mature specimens can also be divided at the root crown.