Aechmea 'Primera', thornless Aechmea fasciata
Would you like to add a little sweetness to your indoor jungle? Choose Aechmea fasicata 'Primera'. This cultivar stands out for its deep pink blossoms and thornless leaves. But don't get too attached to your new protégée! Like many Bromeliads, the plant dies after flowering.
How to recognize Aechmea 'Primera'?
Aechmea 'Primera' is an evergreen perennial with a flared habit. It measures between 30 and 90 centimetres high and up to 60 centimetres wide.
The plant has no stem. Leaves grow in a rosette. Lanceolate and leathery, they can reach 90 centimetres in length. The green blades are streaked with silver, as in the type variety, aechmea fasciata. But Aechmea 'Primera' has no thorns. Its foliage is completely smooth.
When Aechmea 'Primera' reaches maturity, it flowers. A deep pink bract emerges from the heart of the leaf rosette. It is bristling with small violet flowers. Flowering lasts between six and eight months. Once finished, the plant produces shoots and dies.
Aechmea 'Primera' is harmless. As well as being thornless, it is not toxic if touched or ingested. You can grow it without any problems, even if you live with young children or animals.
Our maintenance tips
Aechmea 'Primera' plants are often sold already in flower. If you're growing offshoots, be patient! It takes three or four years for the plant to flower.
Watering
Always water your aechmea 'Primera' with fresh water at room temperature. Preferably use rainwater.
When watering, pour the water into the heart of the plant, into the reservoir formed by the leaves. Water regularly, but not heavily. Keep the soil moist in summer, but allow the surface to dry out in winter.
Aechmea 'Primera' like to keep two to three centimetres of water at the heart of the rosette. But don't let the water stagnate too long. Before watering, drain off any residual water by tilting the plant slightly.
Spray
Aechmea 'Primera' plants like humidity. Mist their foliage with non-calcareous water at room temperature.
Spray the substrate if it is dry.
Repotting
In spring, transfer your Aechmea fasciata 'Primera' to a larger pot, so that it can continue to grow.
Choose a pierced pot twelve to fifteen centimetres in diameter. Line the bottom with a bed of clay balls for drainage.
Then add an aerated substrate. You can buy potting soil for bromeliads or mix orchid potting soil, perlite and coconut fibre. Plant aechmea 'Primera' in the center, without burying it too deeply.
To maintain a high level of humidity, place the pot on a dish filled with moist clay balls.
Fertilization
You can stimulate the development of your plant during its growth phase, in spring and summer, with fertilizer.
Apply liquid fertilizer for green plants when watering.
Cleaning
It is not advisable to clean the foliage. Leaves are covered with trichomes, small transparent hairs that capture moisture. They are fragile and can be damaged by dusting.
If your plant gets dusty, it's best to baste the foliage with lukewarm water.
Cutting
Wait until the end of flowering to propagate your Aechmea Primera.
Wait until the shoots are at least eight centimetres high before taking them. The taller they are, the more likely they are to survive.
Use a clean knife to separate the shoots. Cut as close as possible to the mother plant. Then dig up your cutting.
Aechmea 'Primera' plants are epiphytic plants. They use their roots to anchor themselves in their support, not to feed. So don't worry if your cutting has few or no roots.
Prepare a pierced pot adapted to the size of your cutting. Aechmea 'Primera' plants like to be cramped. The container doesn't have to be large (eight centimetres in diameter is enough), but it should be deep enough to support the weight of the plant without tipping over.
Place a layer of clay balls at the bottom for drainage. Then add a potting soil for bromeliads. You can also make your own substrate by mixing orchid potting soil and green plant compost.
Plant your seedling in the center of the pot. Don' t bury it too deeply. Pack lightly and water with non-calcareous water to moisten the soil.
Cuttings sometimes have trouble standing up straight on their own. You can stake the plant to support it.
Disease / Threat
Information
Family | Bromeliads - Bromeliaceae |
Type | Aechmea - Aechmea |
Species | Silver vase - Aechmea fasciata |
Lifecycle | Perennial |
Foliage | Evergreen |
Exposure | |
Substrat | |
Planting method |
In pots |
Categories | |
Tags |
Beginner Flowery |
Origin |
South America |
Hardiness (USDA) | 11a |
Leaf color |
|
Flower colors |
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