Guzmania lingulata, the star of the Guzmania family
Guzmania lingulata
- Exposure
- Sun
- Hardiness (USDA)
- 11b (7.2°C ≤ T° < 10°C)
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Family
- Bromeliads Bromeliaceae
- Genus
- Guzmania
- Species
- Guzmania lingulata
Other names:Caraguata lingulata, Tillandsia clavata, Tillandsia lingulata
There are over a hundred varieties of Guzmania. The most commonly sold in Europe is Guzmania lingulata. This plant, native to South America, is prized for its colorful blooms and star-shaped rosette of leaves.
How can you recognize Guzmania lingulata?
An upright, epiphytic perennial, Guzmania lingulata is larger than guzmania monostachia. It grows up to 70 centimeters tall with a spread of 40 centimeters.
The plant has no stem. The leaves grow in a basal rosette shaped like a star.
The densely overlapping leaf blades are lanceolate and rigid. They are a bright green.
The inflorescence appears in the center of the rosette, at the top of a 30-centimeter-long flower stalk. It consists of triangular, open bracts—also arranged in a star shape—and white or yellow flowers. The color of the bracts varies depending on the cultivar. They are most often red or orange, but hybrids with pink, yellow, or white bracts can also be found.
Guzmania lingulata is not a toxic plant for humans or pets. It poses no danger when handled or ingested.
Our care tips
Guzmania lingulata is a monocapric plant. Even with the best care, it dies after flowering. Consider taking cuttings to propagate it!
Watering
Guzmania lingulata like to keep their potting soil moist, but not soggy. Water the substrate when it has dried on the surface, for about two centimetres. Use non-calcareous water, such as rainwater at room temperature.
In nature, the plant retains water in the heart of its rosette. In summer, you can pour one or two centimetres of fresh water (rainwater or demineralized water) into its reservoir. Keep the water clean at all times. Drain it every two weeks before refilling the tank.
Don't forget to remove stagnant water from the planter. It causes the roots to rot.
Misting
Guzmania lingulata come from tropical regions. They appreciate high humidity. To recreate it, spray the foliage with non-calcareous water at room temperature.
Fertilization
To promote the growth of your Guzmania lingulata, apply fertilizer in spring and summer.
Add a flowering plant fertilizer to the watering water once a month.
Complete with a foliar fertilizer for bromeliads to be sprayed on the foliage.
Fertilizer stimulates plant growth. But an overdose can damage their leaves. Read the manufacturer's instructions carefully before fertilizing your Guzmania lingulata.
Prune
When flowering is over, cut off wilted bracts with a clean, sharp tool. This stimulates the production of new shoots.
Taking cuttings
Wait until the end of flowering to propagate your Guzmania lingulata.
Guzmania lingulata flowers only once. The plant dies after flowering. But before it does, it produces shoots. You can repot them to obtain new specimens to grow.
Wait until the offshoots are at least a third of the size of the mother plant. Then detach them by hand or with a sharp knife that you've disinfected beforehand. Your cutting must have its own roots, otherwise it won't be able to grow and cling to its support.
Obtain a pot with a hole five centimetres in diameter. Fill it with potting soil for orchids or bromeliads. Plant your Guzmania lingulata in the center. Press down and water.
Diseases / Threats
Information
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Exposure
- Sun
- Substrates
- Humus soilSandy soil
- Planting method
- In pots
- Tags
- FloweryCold-sensitiveThirsty
- Origin
- South America
- Hardiness (USDA)
- 11b (7.2°C ≤ T° < 10°C)
- Leaf color
- Light green
- Flower colors
- WhiteRedRoseSalmonYellow
Discover plants from the same family
Find out more
Find all our tips in the Monstera application
