Not the plant you're looking for? Search over 300,000 plants

Conservatory GreenhouseHerbaceous Perennial

Puya venusta

coastal purple puya

An evergreen, bromeliad forming clumps of rosettes of narrow greenish to silvery-grey leaves edged with sharp, inward-pointing teeth. Mature plants produce branching red flower stems in summer that arise from the centre of the leaf rosette bearing clusters of three-petalled, tubular, blue-purple flowers with reddish-pink bracts

Save to My plants

Buy this plant

Plant nurseries
5 suppliers

Ultimate height

1–1.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

5–10 years

Ultimate spread

0.5–1 metres

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Drought resistance

Yes

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)

Botanical details

Family: Bromeliaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Bushy
Genus: Puya are evergreen, terrestrial, perennial herbs with leathery, typically spiny, leaves forming dense rosettes. Native to Central and South America
Name status: Correct
Plant range: Chile

How to grow

Cultivation

Under glass grow in terrestrial bromeliad compost in full light. Water moderately when in active growth in mid-spring to late summer and apply a low nitrogen fertiliser every 6-8 weeks. In warm, sheltered gardens grow plants outdoors in a sunny spot in sharply draining soil and protect from winter wet

Propagation

Propagate by seed sown at 19-24°C as soon as ripe

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Architectural
City and courtyard gardens
Mediterranean climate plants
Gravel garden
Patio and container plants
Sub-tropical
Low Maintenance
Conservatory and greenhouse

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

May be susceptible to scale insects

Diseases

Susceptible to root rots in wet soils

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.