Variegated Bromeliad

A tropical that holds its own water

This variegated Bromeliad grows as a rosette of arching leaves, green down the centre with cream-white edges, wrapped tightly at the base to form a cup. From the middle rises a pink-red flower spike, which is what most local nurseries mean when they call it a Flame Lily. The colour on the spike comes from long-lasting bracts rather than petals, so it holds for months rather than days.

One thing to know before you buy, because nobody mentions it: a Bromeliad flowers once. The mother rosette puts everything into that display and then slowly declines over the following months, producing offsets — pups — around its base as it goes. That is not the plant failing. It is the normal life cycle, and the pups become the next generation. The variegation carries through to them.

Light

Medium to bright indirect light, a few feet back from a bright window. Variegated leaves need a little more light than plain green ones to keep their cream edges crisp — in deep shade the pattern dulls. Direct afternoon sun bleaches and scorches them. It copes with ordinary office light better than most tropicals; see the office plants guide.

Water

Keep the central cup topped up with clean water, and water the soil only lightly when it has dried slightly. The roots exist mainly to anchor the plant and rot quickly in wet soil.

The cup needs flushing. In our summers, water left standing in a warm rosette for weeks goes stagnant and breeds mosquitoes — tip it out and refill with fresh water every week or two rather than just adding more on top.

Soil and potting

Loose, open, fast-draining mix in a pot with a drainage hole. Bromeliads want a small pot; a large volume of damp soil around that modest root system is the fastest way to lose one. See the repotting guide when a pup reaches about a third of the mother's size and is ready to separate.

Winter

Keep it away from cold window glass and out of the direct blast of a heater from November onward. Dry indoor heat is harder on it than the cold itself. The winter care guide has the detail.

Good to know

Bromeliads are non-toxic to cats and dogs, which makes this one of the few genuinely tropical-looking plants that is safe in a house with pets.