Echinodorus 'Aquartica'

Echinodorus 'Aquartica' is a cultivar selected for enhanced cold tolerance, performing reliably at temperatures as low as 16–18°C where standard tropical sword cultivars begin to decline. It produces narrow, upright, bright-green leaves forming a tidy rosette of 20–35 cm. Its hardy constitution and cold-water adaptability make it a valuable plant for subtropical and temperate aquarium setups, unheated nano tanks in warmer climates, and paludaria.

Despite its cold tolerance, 'Aquartica' also grows well at standard tropical temperatures and can be kept successfully in the 18–28°C range without issue. It is undemanding in terms of lighting and water chemistry, tolerating both soft and moderately hard water and adapting to low and medium light conditions. Like most Echinodorus it is a root feeder that benefits from substrate nutrition or root tabs.

The cultivar fills a real gap in the planted aquarium market for a reliable, easy-care sword plant that can thrive in cooler conditions — a niche where few other options exist outside E. uruguayensis and some Helanthium species.

Light: Low to medium (25–55 PAR); performs well in unheated or mildly heated aquariums. CO2: Not required; grows well without supplementation. Fertilisation: Root tabs every 3–4 months; low-dose liquid fertiliser every 1–2 weeks. Placement: Midground; suitable for cold-water and subtropical setups; keep crown exposed. Propagation: Daughter plants on flower stalks — sever once rooted and allow to establish before replanting.