This is the Mother Plant size of Amazon Sword — a large, mature Echinodorus bleheri grown out well past retail potted size. It's sold either as an instant background centerpiece for a large tank or as a source plant for hobbyists who want to propagate their own side-shoot cuttings.
Plant Profile
Echinodorus bleheri is native to South American rivers and floodplains, where it grows as a heavy root feeder in nutrient-rich substrate. A Mother Plant has already reached its full rosette size — long, ovoid, dark-to-bright-green leaves with prominent veins radiating from a mature crown — rather than the smaller young plant sold in a standard pot.
Care & Planting Guide
Plant into a nutrient-rich substrate with plenty of room for the root system — Mother Plants are heavy root feeders and benefit from root tabs or a quality aqua soil. Because of its size, give it a dedicated background spot in a larger tank. Mother Plants regularly send out side shoots (adventitious shoots) along the leaf stems; once a shoot has developed a few roots of its own, trim it free and replant it as a new, independent plant. This is the easiest way to build out a planted tank with Amazon Swords without buying more mother stock.
A note on "melting": Like most Amazon Swords and Cryptocoryne species, this plant is farm-grown emersed (above water). If it was recently grown out above water, don't be alarmed if some older leaves die back after submersion — this is called melting, and it's a normal transition, not a sign the plant is failing. Emersed leaves are built for air and only have stomata on their underside; once submerged, the plant shifts to new underwater leaves with stomata on both sides, better suited to absorbing CO2 from the water.
Quick Facts
| Common Name |
Amazon Sword — Mother Plant |
| Scientific Name |
Echinodorus bleheri |
| Family |
Alismataceae |
| Type |
Rooted |
| Skill Level |
Easy |
| CO2 |
Not Required — helps growth speed but not necessary |
| Requires Aqua Soil |
Beneficial — heavy root feeder, grows best with nutrient-rich substrate or root tabs |
| Light Level |
Medium (40–80 PAR); tolerates most lighting |
| Max Height |
Up to 20" — full mature specimen size |
| Placement |
Background / centerpiece |
| Growth Rate |
Fast |
| Water Parameters |
pH 6.5–7.5 |
| Propagation |
Trim rooted side shoots (adventitious shoots) and replant |
| Origin |
South America (Amazon River basin floodplains) |
| Other |
Also sold at standard retail potted size — see our regular Amazon Sword listing |
FAQ
What's the difference between this and the regular potted Amazon Sword?
This is a fully mature specimen already grown out to its larger size — an instant centerpiece rather than a young plant you grow out yourself.
Can I propagate more plants from this?
Yes. Mother plants regularly send off side shoots that can be trimmed and replanted as new, individual plants.
Does it need different care than the standard size?
Same care requirements as the regular Amazon Sword — it just needs more room and a nutrient-rich substrate to support its larger size.
