Bromeliad Flaming Sword

To keep the leaf pattern and flower spike looking their best, put this plant near a bright window with filtered light. It needs plenty of indirect light to keep its color going strong.

Avoid direct sun completely, it'll break down the leaves fast and cause dry, bleached spots. It can handle some shade for a while, but not enough light will fade its stripes and stop it from producing offshoots. A few feet from an east or west-facing window, with filtered light, is ideal.

This plant has an interesting quirk, it drinks mainly through the cup at its center, not through its roots. Fill that center cup with clean water every week, and flush it out completely every few weeks so it doesn't go stale or build up minerals.

Keep the bark underneath just barely damp, too much water at the roots will suffocate the base. If you've got a Tillandsia or air plant version of this family that's mounted without soil, skip the cup entirely and just dunk the whole plant in water for 20 minutes once a week, then let it dry out fully.

This plant likes humidity around 40 to 60%. It does fine with average indoor conditions, but it appreciates the odd misting or being placed near other tropical plants.

For air plant versions, make sure they dry out fully within 2 hours after a soak, so water doesn't get trapped inside. Keep the temperature between 60°F and 80°F year-round. Keep it away from cold windows in winter, and away from AC vents or drafty doors.

Since its wild relatives grow on tree branches instead of in dirt, this plant has small roots that need a lot of air. Use coarse orchid bark to pot it, or mount Tillandsia versions on driftwood or cork with no soil at all.

Since the roots don't absorb much, use a diluted air-plant misting solution sparingly. Spray the leaves lightly during spring and summer, but never pour fertilizer straight into the center cup, it can burn the plant's core.

This plant has an interesting life cycle, the parent plant blooms once, spectacularly, then slowly grows small pups at its base before it eventually dies off. You can propagate it by taking these pups once they're about a third the size of the parent.

Cut the pup away from the base with a sharp, clean knife, keeping any small roots it's already grown. Pot it up on its own in fresh, coarse orchid bark, and keep it warm and humid until it settles in.

Since the roots are small and mostly just there to anchor the plant rather than grow big, this bromeliad rarely needs repotting. The pot it comes in is usually enough for its whole blooming cycle.

If you want to move it to a nicer pot, just pick one of a similar size with drainage holes. Going bigger just holds extra moisture around the base and raises the risk of rot. Pack coarse orchid bark firmly around the roots to keep the top-heavy flower spike standing upright.

This plant is completely pet friendly and non-toxic. There's nothing harmful in it, so even if a curious cat or dog nibbles a leaf, it won't cause any harm.

That said, to keep the flower spike looking good and to stop the pot from getting knocked over, it's still worth putting it up on a table or shelf, out of your pet's usual path.

This bromeliad's roots trace back to the tropical rainforests of northern South America, in places like Venezuela, Suriname, and French Guiana. In the wild, it lives as an epiphyte high up on mossy tree branches in the canopy.

Growing up there gives it steady warmth, good airflow, and plenty of filtered light, away from the dark forest floor below.

In the wild, the water-filled cups at the center of big bromeliads form tiny self-contained pools called phytotelmata. These little tree-top pools collect rainwater and organic matter, becoming a home and water source for all kinds of rainforest creatures, like tree frogs, snails, and insects.

In return, the waste from these small creatures gives the bromeliad a steady supply of natural nutrients.