SCARLET STAR

GUZMANIA LINGULATA

This eye-catching bromeliad has dark green, shiny foliage and tiny, white flowers presented at the top of a stem made up of red bracts. Scarlet star is just the answer if you want to introduce a burst of powerful color into a room. The plant flourishes in high humidity and filtered sunlight.

HEIGHT 18in (45cm)

SPREAD 18in (45cm)

FLOWERS Small, white

FOLIAGE Glossy, green

LIGHT Filtered sun

TEMPERATURE 64–81°F (18–27°C)

CARE Challenging

PLACE OF ORIGIN Central America

CARE

In its native rainforest home, scarlet star grows on the branches of larger plants. So, with no need to search for moisture, its roots are small and it happily grows in a small container. However, humidity is essential—the neat, low-growing plant is therefore ideally placed in a bathroom.

Pot into commercial or orchid potting mix. Water directly into the center of the urn with rainwater. Tip out and replace the water in the urn weekly and keep the surface of the potting mix just moist. Feed the plant with a balanced fertilizer once a month during the spring and summer months.

As with all bromeliads, once the long-lasting flower spikes of the scarlet star have faded the plant will start to die. However, there’s no need for alarm as you’ll find new plants forming at the base of the parent plant.

Scarlet star, like all the bromeliads, will die soon after flowering.

If scarlet star is seen from above, its name makes perfect sense.

PROBLEM SOLVING If the leaves of the plant start to turn yellow it’s likely to be due to a lack of light, so move your scarlet star to a sunnier spot.

If you forget to change the water in the urn, the plant may suffer from rot at its heart or it may start to smell of stale water. Reduce watering for a while to try to resolve these issues.

DISPLAY

Scarlet star is popular with interior designers thanks to its impressive, bright red bracts and neat, architectural shape. It makes a striking addition to a mixed bowl of houseplants. As guzmanias mustn’t be overwatered, if planting in a group display, sink its pot into the potting mix of a larger bowl so you can water it differently from the other plants. Grow with high-humidity lovers such as maidenhair fern and Chinese evergreen.

Houseplants A–Z | SCARLET STAR

ALSO TRY

Bromeliads with colorful bracts are a wonderful way of introducing long-lasting and powerful color to a room. Also consider this eye-catching plant for its bracts:

• Flaming sword (Vriesea splendens), height 24in (60cm). The flower spike of this popular bromeliad is accentuated with magnificent, sword-shaped scarlet bracts. The plant also produces small, tubular, greenish-yellow flowers, but it’s undoubtedly the bracts that steal the show.

Flaming sword’s stunning bracts are offset by arching, striped leaves.