Aechmea caudata

Aechmea caudata

This is a vigorous bromeliad from Brazil with grey-green, serrated-edged leaves that form a funnel-shaped rosette. The long-lasting inflorescence has yellow florets held in reddish-orange bracts, on branched spikes up to 1 m in height, and appear in late winter.

Belgian hybrid Clivia with fern and Aechmea caudata in a corner of my garden

Belgian hybrid Clivia with fern and Aechmea caudata in a corner of my garden

It is sometimes called tail bromeliad. It grows well in shaded spots and looks superb with the orange funnel-shaped blooms of Clivia miniata or the dainty yellow, orange and scarlet trumpets of Justicia floribunda that open at the same time. However, it can also grow in sun, where its foliage will become a golden-green hue. A pale yellow or cream striped-leaf version is sometimes seen, but it doesn't grow as strongly as the plain green one. It is an epiphytic plant that can grow in the forks of trees but it can also be planted in the ground, as long as drainage is good. It can also be grown in a pot. Propagation is by division of the clump, discarding the old rosettes that have already bloomed. The flower spike holds colour for a very long time.