Puya chilensis
Puya, Chilean puya
- Height × spread
- 5m × 2m
- Position
- Full sun
- Hardiness
- Frost free greenhouse 1C & above (RHS H2)
- Flowers
- Summer, Autumn
Availability
Please ask in store about availability
Many plants are seasonal. Call 01234 567890 to check current stock.
About this plant
A relative of the pineapple, this grass-like plant makes a handsome display with a fan shaped rosette of stiff leaves that are armed with fierce spines on their edges. It puts up a sturdy flowering stem up to 1.5m (5ft) high making an oval head closely packed with greenish yellow trumpet shaped flowers. These trap small insects which provide nutrients. Give it a sunny spot in well drained gritty soil. It is susceptible to rotting if there is too much water. Outdoors, if kept in dry conditions, it can survive in exposed sites, and even a degree or two of frost. However, it is safer to grow it in a pot and bring it indoors during winter. Remove dead foliage to maintain the plant's good looks. In the wild it will achieve a height of 5m (16ft) with a 2m (7ft) spread, however, this is unlikely under pot culture.
- Flower colour
- Green, Yellow
- Foliage colour
- Green
- Variegated
- No
- Scent
- No
- Shape
- Fan
- Height
- 5m
- Spread
- 2m
- Height in 10 years
- 2m
- Spread in 10 years
- 1m
- Season of interest
- Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter
- Flowers in
- Summer, Autumn
- Evergreen
- Evergreen
- Garden style
- Winter garden, Indoors, Conservatory
- Sun or shade
- Likes full sun
- Soil type
- Chalk, Gravelly soil, Loam (normal), Poor soil, Sandy soil
- Soil pH
- All types
- Drainage
- Well drained soil, Dry soil
- Hardiness
- Frost free greenhouse 1C & above (RHS H2)
- Borders & containers
- Borders
- Indoor light
- full light at all times
- Indoor temperature
- 5C minimum temperature
- Use for
- Structural
- Hazards
- No
Spring
Spring-Autumn · Indoors
Feed with low nitrogen feed
Use a houseplant fertiliser that has low nitrogen content. Apply this several times while the plant is in active growth, reduce feeding and then stop feeding when the plant begins to fade, or winter starts.
Where food elements are listed as three numeric values on the label representing in order Nitrogen(N)-Phosphorus(P)-Potassium(K), choose one where nitrogen has a low value.
Spring-Autumn · Indoors
Water to keep soil moist
Water regularly, but do not leave the plant sodden or with water in a saucer at its feet. It likes to be dry during the winter months.
Spring-Autumn · Outdoors
Water in dry periods
Established plants in the ground can cope with 7-10 days of dryness, and shrubs often manage 2 to 3 weeks. Water one section of the garden thoroughly each day rather than a little everywhere. Check plants in pots more often, especially in hot weather.
Winter
Winter-Spring · Indoors
Water lightly in winter
The soil should remain just moist during the cold months when the plant is not in growth. Trickle a little water onto the soil surface every couple of weeks if the soil is dry. Do nothing if it is moist.
The roots remain active in winter and benefit from small amounts of moisture so they don't become completely desiccated.
Winter · Planting
Apply a protective mulch
Protect with a mulch so that the plant does not become too wet in winter.
A mulch is a covering that can: protect the soil surface from rain, heat and cold; deter weeds; provide nutrients. Organic indicates that material has vegetative origin e.g. manure, compost. Synthetics i.e. plastics, or stones are often called mulches.
Winter · Planting
Divide plant to maintain size every 5 years
Rhizomes can be divided, or clumps separated, discarding any weak or diseased parts and replanting the remainder. The rhizome sits below the soil.
Planting & general
Outdoors
Feed with low nitrogen feed several times
Apply a feed with low nitrogen content several times while the plant is in active growth.
Where food elements are listed as three numeric values on the label representing in order Nitrogen(N)-Phosphorus(P)-Potassium(K), choose one where nitrogen has a low value.
Compost · Planting
Bromeliad (terrestrial) compost for repotting
These grow in soil, often in arid, dry areas. Standard compost mixes are often available or substitute with an orchid compost.
If making one's own compost, use a loam based compost (John Innes no. 1) with equal amounts of fine (horticultural) grit.
Indoor temperature · Planting
5C minimum temperature
This plant requires a minimum temperature of 5 Centigrade.
Indoor plant · Planting
Position in a sunny spot, close to window
Give this plant a position where there is as much light and sunlight as possible, within 2-3 metres of a sunny or bright window (one that is south, east, or west facing).