Ozelot Sword (Echinodorus 'Ozelot') is a hybrid Echinodorus cultivar selected for its distinctive spotted and mottled leaf patterning -- broad, olive-green to red-green leaves marked with dark brown to reddish spots and blotches across their surface that give it a dappled, leopard-like appearance unlike any other sword plant in the catalog. Where Red Flame Sword provides colour through uniform new-growth reddening and Golden Melon Sword through texture and warm tone, Ozelot provides patterning -- each leaf individually marked with spots and blotches in a distribution that varies from leaf to leaf and from plant to plant, making every specimen subtly unique. The spots are most vivid under medium to high light with adequate iron; under low light or iron deficiency the spotting fades to an uneven olive mottling rather than the clearly defined dark spots of a well-kept specimen. At full development it is a mid-to-large sword plant at a similar scale to Red Flame Sword -- a genuine midground-to-background specimen plant requiring space, root nutrition, and a tank large enough to accommodate it. Fully safe with all Neocaridina, Caridina, and snails.
Not RequiredCO2
72-82FTemperature
Med-HighLighting
What to Expect
Spotting, Scale and Growth
Dark spots and blotches on olive-green to reddish leaves -- each leaf individually marked -- the spot pattern on Ozelot Sword is the defining characteristic that no description fully prepares you for at the level of an individual leaf: each dark spot is clearly defined against the warmer-toned leaf base, distributed irregularly across the leaf face in a way that reads as biological rather than designed. The spot density varies between leaves -- some heavily spotted, others with only a few marks -- giving the plant a natural irregularity that makes it look genuinely patterned rather than artificially selected.
Spot intensity responds to light and iron -- both required for vivid markings -- under medium to high light with consistent iron the spots are dark, saturated, and clearly defined against the leaf base. Under low light or iron deficiency the spots become pale and indistinct -- the spotting is present as a pattern in the leaf tissue but the contrast that makes it visually striking requires adequate light to drive pigmentation and consistent iron to sustain the dark colouration of the spot tissue specifically.
Mid-to-large scale specimen -- same size class as Red Flame Sword -- at full development Ozelot Sword reaches 30-50cm in height with a rosette spread of 30-45cm -- a substantial midground-to-background specimen that suits tanks of 60 litres and above. In a tank with multiple sword plants, Ozelot provides the patterned leaf variation against which the solid-coloured Red Flame and warm-toned Golden Melon read as different expressions of the same genus.
Roots deeply and feeds heavily through substrate -- root tabs placed at three to four positions around the planting site at introduction and renewed every three to four months are the most important maintenance action for sustaining spot intensity, leaf size, and overall vigour. In aquasoil the plant establishes without additional supplementation; in inert substrate root tabs are essential from the first day.
Produces runners with daughter plants in established specimens -- a well-established Ozelot Sword produces runners that develop spotted daughter plants at intervals -- each daughter plant inheriting the characteristic spotting of the parent. Runner-produced daughter plants can be separated and replanted once they have developed their own root system and four or more leaves.
How to Set It Up
Getting Started
1Plant as a specimen with adequate surrounding space -- choose a midground or background position with 35-50cm of lateral clearance. Plant with roots spread outward in the substrate and the crown fractionally above the substrate surface. In a tank with other sword plants, position Ozelot where its spotted leaves are viewed against a plain green background rather than against other patterned plants that would compete visually.
2Place root tabs before planting -- push root tabs into the substrate at three to four points 6-8cm from the planting site before introducing the plant. Substrate nutrition from the start of planting produces earlier full-sized leaf development and faster establishment of the vivid spot contrast that defines this cultivar.
3Medium to high light with consistent iron dosing -- run the fixture at medium to high intensity and dose liquid fertiliser with chelated iron two to three times weekly from day one. The spot pigmentation requires both conditions simultaneously -- light for the contrast to read and iron for the dark pigment to develop in the spot tissue.
4Remove yellowing outer leaves and renew root tabs every three to four months -- as the plant grows its oldest outer leaves cycle out and yellow. Remove these cleanly at the petiole base. Push new root tabs into the substrate around the established root ball every three to four months to sustain the nutrient supply that drives continued large-leaf production and spot intensity.
Bonus TipOzelot Sword positioned beside rather than in front of a plain-green background plant -- Vallisneria, Willow Hygro, or Amazon Sword -- creates the clearest possible backdrop for the spot pattern on its leaves. The spotted leaves of Ozelot read most vividly against a plain, contrasting background that has no competing patterning or colour variation of its own. A solid green wall of background stems immediately behind Ozelot provides exactly this -- the spots appear sharper, darker, and more distinctly defined against a uniform green backdrop than against a varied or mixed background.
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Browse more aquatic plantsPair Ozelot Sword with Amazon Sword, Red Flame Sword, or Vallisneria for a complete planted layout. Browse our Aquatic Plants collection.
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