Alcantarea imperialis 'Silver Plum'Giant Silver Plum Bromeliad

The Alcantarea imperialis 'Silver Plum', or Giant Silver Plum Bromeliad, is a selected form of the imperial bromeliad, grown for the contrast between its silver-grey upper leaf surfaces and deep burgundy plum undersides. It forms a huge water-holding tank rosette of broad, corrugated, smooth-margined leaves, reaching around 1 to 1.5 metres tall and 1.5 metres wide. This is a slow plant: expect many years from tubestock to a mature specimen.

Young plants often arrive predominantly green and colour up as they grow and receive more light. Full sun produces the deepest silver and plum tones, while shade gives a greener, flatter result.

Specifications

• Height1 to 1.5 metres, with a flower spike to about 3 metres
• Width1.5 metres
• Native toA cultivar of Alcantarea imperialis, a species endemic to Rio de Janeiro state in Brazil, where it grows on granite outcrops
• FoliageBroad, corrugated, strap-like leaves with smooth spineless margins; silver-grey above and deep plum-burgundy beneath; evergreen
• Growth rateSlow

Conditions

• SoilFree-draining soils or a bromeliad and orchid mix; will not tolerate waterlogging
• LightFull sun to part shade; full sun is required for the strongest colour
• WaterLow; keep the central vase topped up and refresh the water periodically
• ClimateTropical to warm temperate; low frost tolerance, so grow frost-free

Additional Features

• FlowersA spike to around 3 metres with red bracts carrying creamy-yellow, lightly fragrant flowers; the spike can persist for many months
• FormGiant solitary tank rosette that becomes a colony as pups develop
• UsesIdeal for feature planting, tropical and resort landscaping, rockeries, podium and rooftop planting, courtyards and large containers
• SpacingPlant 1.5 metres apart for individual displays
• Low MaintenanceMinimal care required; remove spent leaves and old flower spikes
• Pest ResistanceGenerally trouble-free; monitor for scale or mealybugs
• Drought ToleranceMedium; the central tank buffers the plant through dry periods
• Wind ToleranceMedium
• Life CycleThe mother rosette flowers once, at roughly eight to twenty years, and then dies back, leaving pups around the base that can be separated and replanted
• Seasonal AppealEvergreen foliage offers year-round colour and structure

The Giant Silver Plum Bromeliad is a show-stopping specimen plant, best used where its scale and colour can be seen from a distance.