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Conservatory GreenhouseHouseplants

Aechmea racinae

Christmas jewels

A rosette-forming evergreen perennial with strap-shaped bright green leaves and arching racemes of small yellow flowers with persistent red sepals

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Ultimate height

0.1–0.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

5–10 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Partial shade

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing or East–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

H1B

Botanical details

Family: Bromeliaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Bushy
Genus: Aechmea are evergreen perennials forming funnel-shaped rosettes of strap-shaped leaves, with a terminal spike of tubular flowers often with colourful triangular bracts, followed by fleshy fruits
Name status: Correct
Plant range: Brazil

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow outdoors as an epiphyte or in moist, gritty, humus-rich soil, in frost-free location. Under glass grow as an epiphyte or in epiphytic bromeliad compost in bright filtered light

Propagation

Propagate by offsets

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Sub-tropical
Low Maintenance

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

May be susceptible to scale insects and mealybugs

Diseases

Generally disease-free

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