1 / 2

Guzmania spp.

guzmania

Bromeliaceae Tropical Americas (Andes)

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Hummingbirds Container Friendly

Native to North America

SunPart Shade – Full Shade

WaterMedium

HardinessZones 10–11

Overview

Guzmania spp. is a genus of about 120 to 210 species of evergreen bromeliads in the family Bromeliaceae, native to the American tropics. Most are epiphytes that perch on trees in humid rainforest, from southern Florida and the Caribbean through Central America to the Andes, with the greatest diversity in Colombia and Ecuador. Plants form a rosette of smooth, glossy, strap-shaped green leaves 8-24 in (20-60 cm) long, lacking the spines found on many bromeliads, with the leaf bases overlapping to make a central water-holding cup. At flowering, a central spike rises bearing brightly coloured bracts in red, orange, yellow, pink, or white that stay colourful for several months; the true flowers are small, short-lived, white or yellow, tucked among the bracts. Each rosette flowers once and then slowly dies, producing offsets, or pups, at its base that carry the plant on. Guzmania spp. needs warmth, high humidity, bright shade, and water held in its central cup. It is frost-tender and intolerant of dry air, direct midday sun, and lime-rich water.

Native Range

Native to the tropical Americas, from southern Florida and the West Indies through Central America to northern and western South America, with most species in the Andean cloud forests of Colombia and Ecuador.

Suggested Uses

Grown as a flowering houseplant, in terrariums, and mounted on bark or branches in warm conservatories, with the colourful bracts used for long-lasting indoor display. In frost-free climates it is grown outdoors in shade as an epiphyte on trees or in containers.

How to Identify

Identified by a rosette of soft, smooth, spineless, glossy green strap leaves forming a watertight central cup. The bloom is a central spike of long-lasting bracts in red, orange, yellow, or pink, with small white or yellow flowers nestled among them. Unlike many bromeliads, the leaf margins are smooth rather than toothed. A flowered rosette produces offsets around its base.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height8" - 2'

Width/Spread1' - 2'

Colors

Flower Colors

red

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Flowering can occur at various times of year, often triggered by maturity rather than season, with the coloured bracts lasting two to four months. The small true flowers open in succession within the bract spike over several weeks. Each rosette blooms only once in its life.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

Red, orange, yellow, pink, or white bracts with small white or yellow flowers

Foliage Description

Glossy green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunPartial Shade SunFull Shade

Requires 1-4 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.0 - 6.0(Acidic)

357912

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Medium

Frost Tolerance

tender

Time to Maturity

2-3 years

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grow in bright, indirect light in a coarse, free-draining epiphyte mix, away from direct midday sun that scorches the leaves. Keep the central cup filled with clean, low-mineral water and flush it regularly to prevent stagnation. Maintain warmth above 55 F (13 C) and humidity of 50 percent or more, as the genus is frost-tender and dislikes dry air. Water the mix lightly and let it approach dryness between waterings, since soggy roots rot easily. Rainwater or distilled water suits plants that are sensitive to lime and salts. After bloom, remove the fading rosette once offsets are well grown.

Pruning

Cut out the spent flower spike and the dying mother rosette after it fades and offsets have formed. Separate rooted pups when they reach about one third the size of the parent. Remove dead lower leaves as they brown.