Guide to Guzmania

Guzmania plants are very exotic plants named after a Spanish chemist called Antonino Guzman. They originate mostly from Central and South America and are part of the Bromeliaceae (bromeliads) family of flowers. Perhaps the best known of Guzmania is the Guzmania Lingulata, which is also known dramatically as the ‘Scarlett Star’.

The Guzmania species have become popular for use indoors over the years thanks to their bright vivacious colours that make a welcome edition to any planted display and for their ability to survive in warm indoor climates. The best way of maintaining most Bromeliad varieties is to sit them in a pot with a loose, coarse soil mix. Their roots do not like to be sitting in water so placing some pebbles in the bottom of the pot will allow for good drainage.

It is also a good idea to use pots with drainage holes in the bottom. The best place to position Bromeliads is in east or west facing windows because they prefer bright light and the process of watering the Bromeliad is different to most house plants. On most varieties a flower stalk rises from the centre of the plant so instead of watering at the base you would fill the centre of the stalk, or rosette, with warm water.

The Guzmania Lingulata (Scarlett star) species of flowering plant within the bromeliad grows as a star shaped basal rosette and produces distinctive orange and red bracted inflorescence colours. This is the most common form of cultivated bromeliad. The Guzmania dies after producing flowers in the summer but new flowers can be easily propagated from the offsets appearing after the parent plant dies.

Being epiphytes (an organism that attaches itself to a living plant) they can flourish again if tied onto the pieces of bark with roots bound into sphagnum moss. Don’t be concerned too much though, if this sounds a little complicated, as having a maintenance plan put in place when purchasing this type of plant for an office display is no problem to arrange and will ensure the Guzmania, as well as any other office plants you have, are looked after properly.