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Plant of the Week: Aechmea Fasciata

67 months ago

Hello sweet flowers, today I bring you another plant.

Aechmea Fasciata is a flowering plant from the Bromelia family which contains more than 3000 species and varieties. It is native to Brazil and grows on tree branches or trunks. And how does that happen, you ask? In the Amazon, birds pick twigs and leaves to build their nests and often Bromelia seeds end up there in the middle. Soon, they germinate, and as the tropical air is so humid, it's the perfect condition for growning. Then they develop small roots with the sole purpose of attaching to the tree. As the leaves grow, they form a cup or rosette and the occasional rains go inside the cup and the plant drinks it. This is the best way to water a Bromelia as a houseplant. They take their nutrients from the water in the cup or even from drowned insects that dared to drink from it. This particular Bromeliad has more succulent leaves so it holds much more water inside than, say Bromelia Guzmania

So you can water the roots once a week (half a glass, no more than that or it can cause rot!) and fill the cup everytime it is in the verge of drying. You might also want to mist the leaves, as they LOVE humidity, like every subtropical plant. The fascinating pink flower is actually... not a flower. The pink parts are actual bracts that protect the tiny purple flower you see there. Speaking of this, you need to know that they produce the flower in the end of their lives, so when you buy it on shops and nurseries, it might look fresh, but don't be surprised if the flower dies in 3-4 months. Let the flower dry completely, as the plant will use the energy and nutrients of it to develop new pups and when they are grown enough, you can split them from the mother plant and repot separately. This beauty likes indirect sunlight. You can remove it from the soil and wrap the roots on dry moss and wire or use a hot glue gun (be careful!) and attach it to a trunk, whether it's a dried one on your living room or a live plant outside.

This is the perfect plant for unexperienced garderners. It is very tolerant to negligence.

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