TCulture Echinodorus Hadi Red Pearl

'Hadi Red Pearl' is a quite new, especially distinctive swordplant cultivar. It is also labeled as 'Harbich Red' in trade. It is described as an especially small plant, hardly exceeding a height of 10 cm and a width of 15 cm. However, in our experience, it may get about 20 cm high and 40 cm wide when it is sumptuously supplied with nutrients, CO₂ and light. Nevertheless, it keeps a compact, rather low growth habit with numerous short stalked leaves. The plant has a medium growth rate. The submerged leaves are coarse, narrowly elliptic with round tip. Newly appearing leaves are ruby red, getting brown red to dark green with increasing age.
The plant is mostly delivered in its emersed (terrestrial) form. The aerial leaves are broader, with brown-red coloration and few oblong darker spots on the newest leaves. After planting into the aquarium, the narrower submerged leaves will appear, without spot pattern.

As well as virtually all Echinodorus, 'Hadi Red Pearl' grows best with abundant macro- and micronutrient supply via the substrate. Strong lighting enhances the intense coloration of the submerged foliage. The water parameters are of subordinate importance, however CO₂ supply promotes the growth.

With its compact, rather low habit and nice coloration, Echinodorus 'Hadi Red Pearl' is a special gem in aquariums that is best placed as single plant or small group in the midground or even foreground. It needs a while to reach its maximum size, so it can also be used as solitary plant for nano aquariums, at least temporarily.