Urn plant

Identification and origin

Aechmea fasciata belongs to the pineapple family, Bromeliaceae. It is native to the humid tropical areas of southeastern Brazil, where it grows as an epiphyte: it clings to trees or rocks without harming them, and its roots serve mainly as anchors. The genus has nearly two hundred species, all of them tank epiphytes.

It is an evergreen perennial that forms a basal rosette shaped like an urn or vase. Its stiff, broad, strap-shaped, deep green leaves are crossed by silvery bands, hence the name fasciata, “banded.” The leaf margins carry small black spines. In a pot it grows 12 in – 3 ft tall and 12 in – 2 ft wide.

At three to five years old, a flower stalk emerges from the center of the rosette and carries a large pink spike: many bright pink bracts surround small purple to light blue flowers. The display stays attractive for weeks or even months and can be followed by small, round, woolly white fruits. Each rosette blooms only once: afterward it slowly declines while pups appear at its base.

Cultivars include ‘Primera’, with broad green leaves banded silver-gray; ‘Purpurea’, with dark purple leaves banded white; and ‘Variegated’, with bluish-green leaves and a cream central stripe.

Light

Give it bright but filtered light, or bright partial shade: near a well-lit window, out of direct sun. The rule is to give as much light as the plant tolerates without burning or bleaching; brighter light produces a more compact rosette and stronger color. Move it to a brighter spot gradually, over several weeks.

Watch the leaves. With too little light they grow long, thin, and greener; with too much they become shorter, thicker, and paler. Under grow lights, set the lamp about 8 in above the plant.

Watering

The urn plant drinks mainly through its central cup. Keep about 1–1 in of water in it at all times and refresh it regularly: pour in fresh water, tip the pot to empty out the old water, and refill. Stagnant water goes foul, attracts insects, and concentrates minerals that make leaf tips die back.

Water the mix once it has dried, without letting it stay soggy, and avoid letting water from the cup spill into the pot: the roots rot quickly. Water less in winter. Rainwater is ideal; tap water is fine, but avoid softened water, which contains sodium, and note that very hard water leaves spots on the leaves.

Ideal relative humidity is 50 to 75 percent; in a heated home, a humidifier or misting helps. Very dry, moving air dries out leaf tips.

Potting mix

The mix mainly holds the plant steady. It should be acidic, hold some moisture, and drain very quickly: an orchid mix, or pine bark with coarse perlite and a little humus, works well; never use garden soil. Equal parts peat, bark, and coarse sand is another option. The plant can also be mounted on a piece of rot-resistant wood.

Feed lightly during the warm season with an acidic water-soluble fertilizer diluted to a quarter or even an eighth strength, applied to the mix, the foliage, and the central cup. Too much fertilizer makes the leaves lose their color.

Temperature

The plant is comfortable at 64–75 °F. It tolerates warmer days and appreciates nights that are clearly cooler than the days, ideally 50–64 °F; that difference supports its special type of photosynthesis. Do not let it drop below 50 °F: cold browns the leaf tips, and no bromeliad survives freezing. It can spend the summer outdoors to enjoy rain and humidity. In the ground it can be grown only in USDA zones 10a to 11b.

Repotting

Its root system is small, so choose a smaller pot than you would for another plant of the same size. An oversized pot stays wet and invites rot. If the plant is top-heavy, set the small pot inside a heavier cachepot rather than moving it to a bigger one. Clay pots dry out faster and suit growers who tend to overwater; plastic holds moisture longer, which helps in dry or air-conditioned rooms.

Pruning

No pruning is needed. Let the pups grow against the parent rosette until they are large enough to separate, and handle the plant carefully: the leaf edges are lined with spines.

Propagation

Propagate from the pups that form at the base of the parent rosette. Wait until they reach about a third of the parent’s size, or 6 in tall, then separate them. Pot them in an airy mix and keep them in a shadier, more humid spot until new roots grow, keeping the mix on the dry side to prevent rot.

To trigger bloom on a mature plant, enclose it for two to three days in a clear, airtight plastic bag with a ripe apple; flowering follows in six to fourteen weeks.

Common problems

• Root or crown rot: mix too dense or kept wet too often.
• Brown leaf tips: too little water, cold, minerals built up in the cup, or very dry air.
• Long, thin, green leaves: too little light; pale, bleached leaves: too much sun.
• Dull color: too much fertilizer.
• Spots on leaves: leaf spot disease, or hard-water deposits.
• Pests: scale insects and mealybugs; outdoors, mosquitoes can breed in the cup if the water is not refreshed.

A single symptom can have several causes: check light, cup water, moisture in the mix, and temperature before acting.

Toxicity

No toxicity is reported for cats, dogs, horses, or people. The small spines along the leaf edges can prick, though, so handle the plant with care.