The cultivar name 'Tricolor' means "three-coloured" and refers to the different leaf colorations of this swordplant. It was bred in the Czech water plant nursery Rataj and entered the market in 2004. The elongated underwater leaves are first intensely yellow-green with brownish spots, later turning darker green. It develops a medium-sized, compact submerged, quite broad leaf rosette. It is mostly delivered in its emersed form, having longer stalked, darker green leaves. Planted into the aquarium, it will develop new submerged leaves with the described bright coloration.

Echinodorus 'Tricolor' grows fast, is not demanding and tolerates hard water in the alkaline pH range but should be well supplied with nutrients via the bottom. At least moderate light intensity is recommendable. Under favourable conditions it develops inflorescences with adventitious plantlets also as submerged aquarium plant.