Echinodorus Horizontalis Mini

Quick facts

Identity

Also known as

Horizontal Mini Sword; Mini Amazon Sword

Synonyms

Echinodorus x barthii 'Variegated'

Environment

Freshwater

Native to

Brazil, South America

Habitat

Slow-moving rivers, streams, and marshes of the Amazon basin, often growing in flooded or seasonally inundated soil

Sourcing

Captive-bred

Conservation

Not Evaluated

Care

Care level

Moderate

Growth form

Rosette

Max height

6 – 16 in (15 – 41 cm)

Spread

14 in (36 cm)

Growth rate

Moderate

Placement

Midground, Background

Water

Temperature

72 – 82 °F (22 – 28 °C)

pH

6.5 – 7.5

GH

3 – 10 dGH

Flow

Low-Moderate

Light

Medium

CO₂

Beneficial

Planting

Substrate

Nutrient-rich required

Feeds from

Roots

Fertilizer needs

High

Colors

Green, Cream, Variegated

Feeding & breeding

Propagation

Adventitious plantlets, Runners

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Care guide

Overview

Spreading via runners into a compact rosette, this smaller sword variant offers background coverage without the bulk of larger Echinodorus. It grows readily submersed or emersed given nutrient-rich substrate and moderate to high light. Fast growth and low care demands suit intermediate keepers building midground-to-background structure.

Care

A hardy sword plant suited to intermediate hobbyists once its substrate needs are met. Leaves emerge with a brownish-pink tint before maturing to green with creamy variegation, and the horizontally arranged blades give it a distinctive broader-than-tall silhouette. Medium to high lighting brings out the best variegation, while low light causes the pattern to fade. It tolerates a fairly wide range of water parameters but reacts poorly to sudden changes, often melting back after a move or replant.

Planting & trimming

Remove all packing gel or cotton from the roots before planting and bury only the root mass, keeping the crown at or just above the substrate surface. It needs a nutrient-rich substrate layer of at least two to three inches to support its extensive root system, with root tabs added periodically as it matures. Prune older, outer leaves at the base as they yellow or become shaded to redirect energy to new growth, and avoid uprooting or moving the plant once established since it is sensitive to disturbance.

Fertilizing

This is a heavy root feeder and depends on a nutrient-rich substrate or regular root tabs pushed near the root zone rather than relying on water column dosing alone. Iron supplementation helps maintain the cream and green variegation and prevents new leaves from emerging pale or washed out. Yellowing older leaves usually signal a root nutrient or iron deficiency and can be addressed with a liquid fertilizer alongside substrate tabs. CO2 injection is not required but speeds growth and improves leaf coloration.

Propagation

Propagates mainly through adventitious plantlets that form on runners sent out from the mother plant, and occasionally via small offshoots at the leaf base. Plantlets should be left attached until they develop several leaves and their own root system, then can be cut free and replanted in a separate nutrient-rich substrate. Division of mature crowns is possible but less common than runner propagation for this species.

Problems

New transplants commonly experience melt as the plant adjusts from emersed nursery growth to submersed tank conditions, so old leaves should be trimmed away rather than left to rot. Fading of the variegated pattern points to insufficient light or a nutrient shortfall rather than disease. Algae can accumulate on the broad leaves if growth is slow relative to light intensity, so pairing strong lighting with adequate fertilization or CO2 helps keep the foliage clean.

Sources

1. Echinodorus Horizontalis Variegated - Buce Plant
2. Variegated Sword Plant (Echinodorus horizontalis 'Variegated') – Aquatic Arts
3. Echinodorus: Echinodorus Horizontalis Variegated
4. Amazon Sword Variegated – LM Pet Shop

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