Guzmania

Guzmania are quite easy to grow, have attractive foliage and produce striking, long lasting flowers. They are ideal house plants as long as they have the basic warmth, water and light that they need.

Guzmania grow best where it is warm and, being tropical plants, like a humid atmosphere so will do well in kitchens and bathrooms. Your Guzmania will do best somewhere with plenty of bright, indirect light; a light room or windowsill is ideal. However try to avoid direct sunlight as this can damage your plant.

Whilst in a small pot your plant will need regular watering. Give your plant a small quantity of water ever week or so directly into the flower funnel. If the water is not drying out between waterings or you are worried you have overwatered your Guzmania, tip it upside down to remove any excess water.

When the main flower stem turns brown, your Guzmania won’t flower again but will produce new pups from its base. If you want a fun project, you can allow these to get to a reasonable size and then they can be separated from the mother plant and repotted to grow on.

Problem Solving:

Guzmania are tough plants and will recover from most problems with a little TLC. However a sudden yellowing of your plant’s leaves is a sign of overwatering. If you notice this, tip your plant upside down to allow any excess water that may have build up in the flower funnel to drain and let your Guzmania dry out a little before watering again. You can also remove any dead or damaged leaves to keep your plant looking tidy.

If your Guzmania is not flowering well, try moving to a position where will get more light.