How do I care for my Neoregelia?

Neoregelia make a great low maintenance house plant and have the most incredible, colour changing foliage. Its long glossy leaves can vary from deep greens to the brightest fuchsia pinks and we just love it. This bromeliad is native to South American rainforests, especially Brazil, Chile and Peru and so likes bright, in-direct sunlight.

Neoregelia also has its own built in water tank, which is basically a funnel in the centre of the plant in which it stores water. Outside, it collects rainfall and provides a habitat for small frogs and insects. But indoors you’ll need to keep it topped up with fresh water.

Native habitat 
Native to South American rainforests, especially Brasil, Chile and Peru.

Light and position in the home 
Bright, indirect sunlight provide the best environment for this plant, and will bring out the colour of the foliage best.

Flowers and foliage 
The incredible colouring of the foliage of this plant are the main attraction, but it does also produce tiny blue/violet flowers in the very centre of the plant.

Watering 
Watering is absolutely key to the successful care of this plant within the home. It is a rainforest plant that grows on other plants or in the ground, and gains its moisture through the 'urn' in the centre and through the foliage. The roots of the plant are generally used for anchoring the plant to different surfaces in the rainforest, rather than absorbing water.

You should only water this plant in the very centre, and not around the roots. Aim to keep the 'urn' at the centre of the plant about 1/4 full of water at all times during the summer months, but in winter you should allow it to dry out, or the plant may start to rot. It's also a good idea to empty out any old water from the urn every 2-3 months to prevent a buildup of bacteria.

If you live in a hard water area, you might discover you also need to use purified or distilled water to keep this plant happy.

Temperature 
The ideal growing temperature is over 12 degrees Celcius, so if you are comfortable in your home, this plant probably will be too.

Pets
Neoregelia is non-toxic to cats and dogs.

Did you know?
Neoregelia is a type of Bromeliad. As such, the parent plant will eventually produce 'pup' plants off the main body of the plant. You can transplant these pups as the parent plant will eventually die. This is just a natural part of the cycle that Bromeliads go through.