Bromeliad – Aechmea blanchetiana ‘Orange’

General Landscape Uses: Mass planting for high-impact groundcover, dramatic focal point in rock gardens, or as a large container specimen.  Excellent for “fire-scaping” and low-maintenance tropical borders. Ecological Restoration Notes: Limited use in true restoration as it is a cultivated selection, but it provides valuable “phytotelmata” (water-holding tanks) that support micro-fauna in urban heat islands. Description: A large, rosette-forming epiphytic or terrestrial bromeliad. Leaves are stiff, strap-shaped, and serrated with small spines. Foliage turns vivid orange in high light. Dimensions: Height 3 – 5 ft.; Spread 3 – 4 ft. Growth Rate: Moderate Native Range: Brazil Native Habitats: Coastal sand dunes (restinga) and forest edges where light is abundant. Soils: Well-drained, sand Nutritional Requirements: Low Salt Water Tolerance: Low Salt Wind Tolerance: High Drought Tolerance: High Light Requirements: Full Sun Flower Color: Red and yellow bracts with small purple/blue flowers. Flower Characteristics: A massive, branched inflorescence (flower spike) that rises 2–3 ft above the foliage. Flowering Season: Spring to summer Fruit: Small, berry-like globes following the fade of the flowers. Wildlife and Ecology: The central tank collects rainwater, creating a miniature ecosystem for frogs and beneficial insects. Hummingbirds are attracted to the tall flower spikes. Horticultural Notes: Grown from offshoot, seed, tissue culture Comments: