Echinodorus barthii - Red Melon Swordplant

Echinodorus barthii—the Red Melon Swordplant—brings a striking architectural profile to a pond's edge. Originally a cultivated hybrid, this ornamental rosette-forming swordplant is unique because its youngest leaves emerge in a highly decorative, vivid burgundy-black or brick red hue, slowly maturing into a deep, rich dark green. 

When grown at the pond line, it easily transitions into its emersed form, producing highly rigid, spoon-shaped leaves and sending up tall, unbranched flower stalks with delicate white blossoms in late spring and summer.