Guzmania (Bromelia)

Easy growing Guzmania plants

Guzmania is a genus of the Bromeliaceae family, most of the genus in this species is epiphytes (plants that grows on other plants non-parasitically) they attach themselves to trees and their roots never touch the ground. On most Guzmania varieties a tall rosette-like central flower stalk arises from the plant, the center of this rosette should always contain water for the plant to survive.

Guzmanias are very easy to grow, make sure that their central cup is always full of water (rainwater) and that they are planted in a coarse soil mix with plenty of pebbles at the bottom of the pot for good drainage. Guzmanias like to be positioned in light shade.

Bromeliads only flower once in their lifetime, once the plant has flowered it will produces babies called 'pups' around it’s base, when these pups are about half the size of the mother plant they are ready to root and should be transplanted into their own pots where they will flower a few months later and the whole cycle will start off again.