GUZMANIA
Guzmania cultivars
I have used this striking South American plant in many interior design landscapes that I’ve created over the years, because it gives so much positive energy in its structure and vibrant colors. The other main benefit is that the rosette-shaped, flowerlike bracts, or modified leaves, stay bright red for such a long time with minimal upkeep.
I’ll clean your air
My leaves remove air pollutants such as benzene, which is found in glue and paint, and release oxygen at night. This makes me ideal for the bedroom as I will purify the air while you sleep so you wake feeling bright and refreshed.
Let’s make babies
I am monocarpic, which means I die after my true flowers have bloomed. But I can be easily propagated from the offsets that grow at my base. When the pups get to 4–6in (10–15cm), they can be cut away and planted into a free-draining potting mix.
Get to know me
As a bromeliad, I am an epiphyte, which means I get my nutrients from the air and the rain. So I have a funnel-shaped urn formed by the center cluster of my foliage. In my natural habitat, this is where I collect rainwater to drink. In Brazil, my urn is believed to catch all of the “blessings from above.”
I will brighten your day
My star-shaped bracts will add intriguing structure to your interior, and my vibrant colors—I’m available in a huge variety, such as red, orange, purple, green, pink, white, or even bicolored—will energize you.
Look out for my true flowers
My brightly colored bracts may be my main attraction, but I do also produce true flowers. They are small and white and bloom in between my bracts, and when they appear, this signifies the approaching end of my life, which will take about a year.
Help me thrive
POSITION Grows well in high humidity and in indirect sunlight—direct sunlight will burn the leaves. Keep temperatures above 60°F (15°C).
POTTING Likes to grow in a rich, free-draining potting mix along with equal amounts of chopped sphagnum moss.
GROWTH RATE Some varieties can reach 2ft (60cm) tall and 4ft (1.2m) wide; they are fairly slow-growing and long-lived, but once they’ve flowered, they will die.
CARE Quarter-fill the central urn with rain or distilled water in summer and refresh monthly. In winter, water sparingly to keep soil moist.