Giant Bromeliad

Giant Bromeliad (Alcantarea imperialis) is what you plant when a garden needs one bold thing rather than ten small ones. The rosette builds to about 1.2m tall and 1.5m across, and a mature plant lifts a branched flower spike to around 3m. It holds that shape without pruning, staking or much water, which is why landscape designers keep using it around pools and entries.

Why you'll love it

• Architecture without the upkeep. A symmetrical rosette 1.5m across keeps its form all year, and there is nothing to prune or stake.
• Genuinely tough. Drought tolerant, salt tolerant and comfortable in humidity, so it copes with coastal exposure and pool splash.
• A flower spike worth waiting for. Mature plants throw a branched spike to about 3m in white and red, and birds work it while it is open.
• Safe around pets. Not toxic to cats or dogs.

Where it works best

Feature planting. One plant in gravel or low groundcover carries a whole courtyard. Allow 1.5m of clear space so the rosette reads as a shape rather than a gap filler.

Poolside and coastal gardens. It sheds very little leaf litter and tolerates salt, so it suits pool surrounds and exposed coastal beds where softer plants burn.

Mass planting and rockeries. Plant 1.5m apart for a bold repeated planting. Among boulders it looks at home and gets the sharp drainage it prefers.

Growing Giant Bromeliad in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun deepens the burgundy tones; part shade keeps the leaves greener and broader. This is a plant for tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens. It takes light frost only, so cool inland and southern gardeners should pot it and move it under cover for winter.

Soil. Drainage matters far more than fertility. A free draining mix, a raised bed or a gravel bed all work, while heavy wet clay will rot the base.

Water and feed. Fill the central well of the rosette rather than soaking the soil, and tip it out and refill every few weeks in warm weather so it stays fresh. One light controlled release feed in spring is plenty.

Maintenance. Pull spent lower leaves off by hand. After flowering, that rosette declines and pups form at the base to replace it, so leave them attached until they reach a third of the parent's size.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in six sizes: 140mm in packs of ten, 200mm in packs of six, 250mm in packs of three, and single plants in 300mm, 330mm and 400mm. The pack sizes are young rosettes, good value for mass planting but a few years off real presence. A 400mm plant reads as a feature the day it lands.

Bromeliads travel better than most plants because the thick leaves hold their own moisture. Expect a settling period of a few weeks with little visible growth, then steady widening through the warm season. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Read about the range of bromeliad varieties and how they differ.
• Browse architectural plants for designer gardens.
• See more plants for poolside gardens.
• Check the wider pet safe plant range.

Common questions

How long before it flowers?

Several years from a small pot, and flowering marks the end of that rosette. Pups at the base take over, so an established clump keeps going even as individual rosettes finish.

Will it survive frost?

Light frost only. In cool temperate gardens grow it in a pot against a warm north facing wall and shift it under eaves for winter.

Is it safe around cats and dogs?

Yes, it is not toxic to either. The leaf edges are firm, so keep it back from paths where small children run.