Aechmea fasciata
An easy-care tropical bromeliad with silvery-striped leaves forming a central water-holding vase, it blooms a long-lasting pink bract with tiny blue flowers and dies after flowering, with offsets that can be propagated.
Common Names
Urn Plant, Silver Vase Plant, Silver Vase Bromeliad, Silver Vase
Summary
Silver vase plant, a Brazilian bromeliad, forms a silvery-green rosette of broad, banded leaves with spiny margins and a central water-holding cup; a long-lasting pink inflorescence with small blue flowers rises from the center, and the plant is monocarpic, dying after flowering while offsets form at the base.
Cultivation requires bright indirect light to partial shade and warm temperatures around 65–75°F with frost protection; keep the central cup filled and water the surrounding medium sparingly in a well-draining bromeliad or orchid mix, avoiding waterlogged roots; humidity about 50–70% improves vigor; offsets propagate for new plants; uses include indoor décor, containers, or outdoor mass plantings in warm climates, and it is not toxic to pets.
Lifecycle
Perennial (monocarpic; dies after flowering)
Height
1-3 feet
Spread
1-2 ft
Hardiness Zones
Zones 10-11
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally partial sun to partial shade.
Soil Type
Well-draining orchid/bromeliad potting mix
Soil Drainage
Well-drained
Soil pH
Tolerates all pH levels
Bloom Color
Pink
Bloom Time
Spring
Foliage Color
Silver-green foliage
Fall Foliage Color
No fall color change
Leaf Lifecycle
Evergreen broadleaf
Growth Rate
Slow
Seasons of Interest
Spring and Summer
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Division, Layering-like, Cuttings of offsets
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- (Lindl.) Baker
- Publication
- J. Bot. 17: 231 (1879)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Poales
- Family
- Bromeliaceae
- Genus
- Aechmea
Synonyms
Aechmea fasciata var. flavivittata Aechmea fasciata var. pruinosa Aechmea fasciata var. purpurea Aechmea hamata Aechmea leopoldii Aechmea rhodocyanea Billbergia fasciata Billbergia glazioviana Billbergia rhodocyanea Hohenbergia fasciata Hoplophytum fasciatum Platyaechmea fasciata Platyaechmea fasciata var. flavivittata Platyaechmea fasciata var. pruinosa Tillandsia bracteata Billbergia glaziovii Bromelia fasciata Billbergia rhodocyanea var. purpurea Platyaechmea fasciata var. purpurea Aechmea fasciata var. fasciata