Beach Bromelia

A tall, slender plant with unbelievably vicious, needle-like spines. Foliage is dark green.

Spreads by long rhizomes both ...Read Moreabove and underground. Difficult to control its spread. Because of the spines and the difficulty in controlling it, we're removing it from the garden.

This would make a good, architectural container plant.

This is a very large bromeliad, native from the coastal sandy plains of Brazil. This plant often reaches over than 1,5 m tall, but some i...Read Morendividuals can reach up to 2m high, exceptionally more. The leaves don´t form a defined tank for water accumulation, like other bromeliads, so if you live in places sucetible to mosquitos or other insects that lay eggs on water, this bromeliad would be recomended

The leaves ar long, in fact can reach 2m long or more, forming a big rosette. They are fibrous, spiny, looking like an Agave at first sight, but has the lowers spines on the base of the leaf turned backwards. The leaf color may vary, from light green to green-yellow, to orange. When it´s going to bloom, the newer leaves are often red.

The inflorescence is relatively short, and unless you look through the leaves, you will hardly notice it. It has spiny red bracts and spike of blue or purple small flowers. The fruits are orange and bitter, though some people eat it. Although it produces many fruits, the main way of propagation is through long rhyzomes that will pop up new plants as long as the soil is good and the sun light is adequade.

It likes sandy and salty soils, and a rather hight air humidity. If you live near the sea it would be easier. It also likes intense sun light and won´t tolerate frost. It´s a common species on its natural habitat. The problem is: their natural habitat is seriously endangered, so buy it only if you trust the person or shop you are going to buy from.