Species · genus Aechmea · Bromeliaceae

Vase Bromeliad

Aechmea bracteata (Sw.) Griseb.

Growth habit

epiphyte

Native range

Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest, Nicaragua, Panamá, Venezuela

Aechmea bracteata — reference photo — Jim Conrad · Public domain

Cultivars of A. bracteata

The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.

No named cultivars catalogued under A. bracteata yet. When growers document a stable, named form, it earns its own page here.

Guide

The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.

An Epiphytic Bromeliad

Aechmea bracteata is a bromeliad species belonging to the family Bromeliaceae. It grows as an epiphyte, meaning it takes hold on other plants rather than rooting in soil, and in the wild it has also been used as a food source.

Source: Kew

From Mexico to Venezuela

This species is native to a broad swath of Central America and northern South America, ranging from Mexico down through Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama, into Colombia and northwestern Venezuela. It has also become established beyond its native range in the Bahamas. In the wild it favours seasonally dry tropical settings, growing perched on other plants rather than in the ground.

Source: Kew

Rosette, Bracts, and Berries

As a member of the genus Aechmea, this plant forms an evergreen, funnel-shaped rosette of strap-like leaves. From the centre rises a terminal flower spike bearing tubular blooms, often set off by colourful triangular bracts, and these are followed by fleshy fruits.

Source: RHS

Care recipe

The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.

Care notes are early — not yet verified

Light: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Water: ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 7-14d)
Humidity: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Soil: ai:claude-fable-5
Care: ai:claude-fable-5

Light

Bright, indirect

Water

≈ every 14 days

Humidity

High

Temperature

15–30 °C

Soil mix

Loose, fast-draining bromeliad mix

Propagation

Offsets (pups) removed after flowering

Fertilizing

Dilute feed sparingly during active growth

Growth rate

Moderate

Flowering

Branched, long-lasting inflorescence when mature

ToxicityAuthoritative · species

Not yet documented

This is where toxicity lives — every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.

Reference images

Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.

Sources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 7-14d) · ai:claude-fable-5

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow Vase Bromeliad yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — and a clear photo of your plant are exactly what keep this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.