Melon Sword (Echinodorus osiris) - Bare Root

The Melon Sword (Echinodorus osiris) is a very attractive centerpiece plant for the aquarium.  Its green and red leaves make for a very distinctive appearance and its tall, large leaves are remarkably noticeable in heavily planted settings.  Best of all, it is extremely undemanding when it comes to care requirements.

Care for the Melon Sword is very simple and easy.  While it will thrive in high lighting, it is also very durable and can do very well in low to moderate lighting.  It requires nutrient rich substrate for its extensive root structure.  It produces very large leaves, so it must be planted with care to not cast too much shade on other plants as it grows.  It is certainly only suitable for background placement in smaller aquariums, but it can also be placed in the middle ground of larger aquariums.  The Melon Sword reproduces through rhizome division as well as by the production of side shoots, which can be removed and replanted.  It is very intolerant of copper, so please keep this in mind if you use tap water in your aquarium.

The Melon Sword is a member of the plant group known as Rosettes, which are known for their extremely short stem axes and for the way their leaves grow upward from the base of the plant.  This plant can grow up to 20 inches in height with the proper lighting and water quality.  Approximate shipping size of our Melon Swords ranges from 4 to 8 inches tall.  The plant ships a as bare root clump.  As with all of our plants (besides tissue cultures), our Melon Swords are kept in water in a dedicated tank rather than plastic packaging, which means your plant will arrive much healthier.

Like most plants, Melon Sword will benefit from supplementation such as Seachem Flourish, Flourish Excel, Nitrogen and other plant supplements.

No aquarium plant distributor/nursery/wholesaler/retailer can or will guarantee their plants to be 100% snail free. We can not guarantee our plants will be snail free. 

What We Like About This Plant:

• Tall and wide growth that is ideal for larger aquariums
• Very easy to propagate
• Provides a great deal of cover for animal fry
• Very hardy and durable in a well-lit, nutrient-rich aquarium

Care Guidelines:

• Temperature: 72° - 83° F (22° - 28° C)
• pH: 6.5 - 7.5
• Lighting: Moderate to high
• Origin: Indigenous to South America, cultivated in US nurseries
• Aquarium placement: Middle to background
• Care: Easy

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