Red Flame Sword (Echinodorus sp. Red Flame)

Red Flame Sword (Echinodorus sp. Red Flame) 

Red Flame Sword is a show-stopping Echinodorus variety known for its broad, oval leaves splashed and marbled with fiery red tones. Each leaf has its own unique pattern—ranging from subtle red freckling to bold, flame-like patches—so the plant feels “alive” in the aquascape and immediately pulls focus. With sturdy growth and a classic sword-plant silhouette, Red Flame is an easy way to add color, scale, and drama to planted tanks without needing an overly demanding setup.

Red Flame Sword Overview

In the aquarium, Red Flame grows from a central crown as a rosette, gradually building a full cluster of large leaves that can dominate the midground in larger tanks or serve as a true background feature in smaller ones. Its thicker leaves create a strong structural anchor—perfect for balancing finer-leaf plants and giving your layout a clear centerpiece or “backbone” plant.

Aquarists appreciate Red Flame Sword for:

• Bold red patterning: Red-dappled leaves create instant contrast and visual depth.
• Focal-point presence: Broad leaves and upright growth make it a natural specimen plant.
• Hardy performance: Adaptable and forgiving, with great results under moderate light and steady nutrients.
• Great habitat value: Large leaves provide cover and can serve as spawning/resting surfaces for many fish.

It’s a dependable statement plant that gets better with time as it establishes and fills in. For aquascaping, Red Flame looks especially striking when framed by darker textures—try setting it behind or beside rugged stone and driftwood like Driftwood on Slate to amplify the red coloration and give the scape a strong “anchor” point. It pairs beautifully with Cryptocoryne species in the midground (crypts add rich greens and bronzes, plus a softer, wavy-leaf texture that contrasts nicely with Red Flame’s broad oval leaves), and it also blends naturally with other Echinodorus varieties in our Sword Plants selection for a cohesive, rosette-focused layout. Beyond looks, fish appreciate Red Flame for the same reason aquarists do: the large, sturdy leaves create instant shelter and visual breaks, giving shy community fish a sense of security, offering resting and “patrol” surfaces for larger species, and even providing natural sites that egg-layers like angelfish and discus often gravitate toward.

Caring for Red Flame Sword

Red Flame Sword is one of the easier sword plants to grow, but it reaches its best size and coloration when its roots have consistent access to nutrients. A nutrient-rich planted substrate is ideal, and in sand or gravel setups you’ll get excellent results with root tabs fertilization. Many aquarists also support stronger reds with iron-rich fertilization, either via root tabs or a quality liquid fertilizer—especially if new leaves begin to look pale or the red tones fade.

Given good conditions and adequate space, Red Flame can reach around 12 inches in height. If it begins to shade other plants or crowd the layout, maintenance is simple: remove a few of the oldest or tallest outer leaves at the base. This keeps the crown healthy, encourages fresh growth, and maintains a cleaner, more intentional shape. Sharp aquascaping scissors make quick work of routine trimming.

Like many swords, Red Flame may produce runners and “daughter plants” once established. You can let the baby plants develop several leaves and roots, then separate and replant them to expand your scape or create a cohesive sword-plant grouping. The broad leaves can also become favorite spawning surfaces for fish such as angelfish and discus in calm, well-maintained community tanks.

• Light: Moderate
• Temperature Range: 68–82°F
• Placement: Background (or midground in larger aquariums)
• CO₂: Not required (beneficial in brighter setups)
• Difficulty: Easy
• Growth Rate: Moderate

Red Flame Sword is also available in a potted version if you prefer the convenience of a plant that arrives already anchored and easy to position during your initial layout. We also carry many other sword varieties, including Amazon Sword, Rose Sword, Ozelot Sword, and more. If you’re building a cohesive rosette-style aquascape, Red Flame pairs beautifully with other Echinodorus varieties, and it also plays exceptionally well with Cryptocoryne in the midground for layered texture and color contrast. As it fills in, you’ll notice your fish using it constantly: the broad leaves create natural “rooms” and sight breaks that reduce stress, give shy species a place to retreat, and provide sturdy resting and grazing surfaces that make the whole aquarium feel more natural and lived-in.

Shop with Confidence for Aquarium Plants at Modern Aquarium

At Modern Aquarium, we focus on delivering healthy, beautiful plants you can feel good about adding to your tank. Each Red Flame Sword is inspected, cleaned, and prepared by hand before shipping so it arrives ready to plant and thrive.

• Top Quality Store & real reviews: Modern Aquarium has been designated by Google as a Top Quality Store and has thousands of verified customer reviews from real aquarists.
• Live Arrival Guarantee & fast delivery: Your plants are covered by our Live Arrival Guarantee and shipped via FedEx 2-Day delivery to help ensure they arrive fresh and vibrant.
• Trusted sourcing: We work with reputable nurseries and handle plants carefully from grower to your aquarium.
• What You See Is What You Get: Photos are representative; because these are live plants, individual specimens will vary in size, fullness, and exact red patterning.
• Support when you need it: Reach out anytime through site chat or by phone—we’re happy to help.

To make Red Flame Sword the star of your scape, pair it with a nutrient-rich substrate or root tabs, consistent fertilization (especially iron support for stronger reds), and hardscape like rocks and driftwood to frame its color—then round it out with botanicals and premium fish foods to create a balanced, vibrant aquarium where both plants and fish look their best.