	height	1–2ft
	width	1–2ft
	tolerates	Drought, Heat, Pots, Neglect, Salt, Wind
	water needs	When soil is mostly dry.
	water info	This bromeliad is one of the most drought tolerant and can go completely dry between waterings without skipping a beat. Bromeliads evolved their unique shape to funnel rainwater into their centers, and then store it there. If you’re in a hot climate simulate this by watering from above. When indoors, you can water in the center of the crown and allow the water to overflow down into the lower ‘tanks’ and then the roots without getting the area around your plant wet. However, if you are in a cool climate it is best to just water the soil, as lingering water in the crown can lead to rot.
	hardy to	23F
	exposure	Bright Indirect – Direct Sun
	indoor outdoor	Indoor
	drainage	In Ground: Cactus Mix, In Pots: Cactus Mix, Orchid Bark, Tolerates Sandy Soil
	fertilizing	Acid 1/2 Strength
	origin	E South America
	california native	No
	sunset zones	15–17, 19–24, H2

Growing Notes

Leaves get glowing red cast when grown in direct sun.

Bromeliads are occasionally terrestrial (grow in the ground) but most are epiphytic, growing on the trunks and branches of trees. Even others are lythophytic, growing in the cracks of rock faces. Either way they don’t need much root space and thrive in pots. This also makes them ideal for mounting on a plank, tree, fence, totem or rock.

Because they are usually growing in tight spots their nutrients come from decaying litter, making them appreciate a light acidic fertilizer, but all purpose seems to work just fine.

When planting in the ground take extra care to ensure good drainage. Some ways to do this are by mounding the plants, adding pumice or lava rock to the soil, or even planting nursery cans directly into a basin of pumice to keep their roots constrained.

Avoid planting under trees or other plants that shed a lot, as the litter will collect in the rosettes. If this happens you can gently flush the tanks out with a garden hose.

This bromeliad builds energy its entire life to send off one spectacular flower, but afterward will die. Don’t worry though, there are usually a couple pups at the base ready to replace it. Start by pruning down the flower once it has lost its vitality, later when the parent plant (that bloomed) begins to fade, remove it to make room for the next generation, often this can be done by just twisting and pulling on the old dried up rosette. Be careful with this one, the spines are no joke!

Special Interest

One of the toughest most reliable bromeliads for areas of California with higher rainfall. Tolerates being in the ground very well without rotting, where it quickly offsets. Very tolerant of direct sun, more-so than most bromeliads.

We visited a very special garden designed and built by the late Harland Hand (in the Sunnyside neighborhood of San Francisco). The irrigation had been turned off in one of Californias droughts and after eight years of drought many plants had died. And yet, a massive patch of Aechmea recurvata had prospered, engulfing one of Harlands iconic rock walls living on only sparse rains and fog drip.