Guzmania conifera is an Andean bromeliad that holds water in the centre of a smooth strappy rosette and sends up a cone-like head of orange-red bracts tipped with yellow. The head keeps its colour for months, which is the whole commercial case for the plant.
It is planted in blocks at ground level in shaded tropical beds and used heavily in interior schemes, where its colour outlasts any cut arrangement.
Specifications
Height0.4 to 0.7 metres including the flower head
Width0.3 to 0.5 metres
Native toEcuador and Peru, in Andean cloud forest
FoliageSmooth strappy green leaves forming a water-holding rosette; evergreen
Growth rateSlow
Conditions
SoilRequires a very free-draining bark-based or epiphytic mix; will not tolerate wet roots
LightBright indirect light to partial shade
WaterModerate; keep the central cup topped with clean water
ClimateThrives in humid tropical conditions and in stable interior environments; frost tender
Additional Features
FlowersA cone-like head of orange-red bracts tipped yellow, holding colour for months
FormNeat symmetrical rosette that reads well in repeated blocks
UsesIdeal for interior landscaping, shaded planters and epiphytic display work
SpacingPlant 0.3 metres apart for a solid block of colour
Low MaintenanceEach rosette flowers once and is replaced by its own offsets; remove the spent parent
Pest ResistanceGenerally sound; scale can appear in still interior air
Seasonal AppealLong-held bract colour gives display value for months at a time
The Cone-headed Guzmania delivers months of saturated colour in shade, indoors or out, from a plant that asks for very little.
Availability by project review. Sizes, quantities, origin and export readiness are confirmed after your plant schedule is reviewed against destination, timing and quarantine requirements. MEWA certified for supply into Saudi Arabia; Australian Export Registered Establishment.
Enquiries: sales@ornatecinternational.com310 Donkin Rd, Utchee Creek QLD 4871, AustraliaPrepared 09 September 2026