Spade-leaf sword facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Spade-leaf sword |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Echinodorus
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| Species: |
cordifolius
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The spade-leaf sword or creeping burhead is a cool plant called Echinodorus cordifolius. It's a type of water plant that grows in wet places. You can find it naturally in places like Mexico, the West Indies, Central America, and South America. It also grows in the southeastern United States, from Texas all the way up to Iowa.
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Where This Plant Lives
This plant loves water! You can find Echinodorus cordifolius growing in many wet spots. It lives in marshes, swamps, ditches, and ponds.
It usually starts to bloom, or grow its flowers, in the late summer. The flowers keep appearing into the early fall.
What the Spade-Leaf Sword Looks Like
The spade-leaf sword is a strong plant that can grow quite tall. It can reach up to 100 centimeters, which is about 3 feet! It has special underground stems called rhizomes. These help the plant spread and grow new shoots.
Most of its leaves grow above the water. These leaves are shaped like an oval or a heart. They can be quite large, up to 32 cm long and 19 cm wide.
The plant's flowers grow in long stalks called inflorescences. These stalks can bend or arch, and they often have many flowers. Each flower can be up to 25 millimeters wide.
One cool way to tell this plant apart is by its arching flower stalks. It's the only plant in its group with this special feature. Also, the veins on its sepals (the leaf-like parts that protect the flower bud) have tiny bumps.
How to Grow This Plant
The spade-leaf sword is a popular plant for aquariums. It's pretty easy to grow! It likes water that is not too hard or too soft. It also prefers warm, tropical temperatures.
For the best growth, the plant needs good light. It also needs rich soil at the bottom of its tank. This plant is a "heavy feeder," meaning it needs lots of nutrients. Adding clay to the soil can help it grow strong.
Growing in Aquariums
Many plants sold for aquariums are grown above water on special farms. When you first put them underwater, some of their old leaves might die. Don't worry, new underwater leaves will soon grow!
This plant can get very big, so it's best for large, deep aquariums. It makes a great background plant. If it starts to grow leaves that float on the surface, you can remove them. This helps keep the plant smaller and encourages it to grow more underwater leaves.
Adding CO2 (carbon dioxide) to the water can help the plant grow even better. While it's not too picky about water conditions, it does like tropical aquarium temperatures.
Growing Outdoors
If you live in a warm country, you can grow Echinodorus cordifolius outdoors. It can grow in or near a pond. Just make sure it won't get too cold, as it doesn't like frost. It also loves a lot of light when grown outside. You can even plant its seeds in shallow water.
Different Types of Spade-Leaf Sword
There are a few interesting types, or "forms," of the spade-leaf sword:
- Tropica Marble or Marble Queen: This type has beautiful marbled patterns on its leaves. However, if it doesn't get enough light, the marble pattern might fade. It tends to stay underwater longer than the regular plant. It also likes good soil, CO2, and strong light.
- ovalis: This is a smaller, rounder version of the plant. Its low and wide growth makes it good for smaller aquariums. It usually grows to about 35 cm tall and 30 cm wide.
- ssp. fluitans: This type grows very fast and is great for large aquariums. It's less likely to grow leaves above the water surface. Instead, it forms large leaves just under the water. It can reach a height of about 40 cm.
Gallery
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Flower of Echinodorus cordifolius
