Bromeliad
Guzmania lingulata
Also called Guzmania and Scarlet star
Houseplant · FloweringFill the central cup, not the soil. It flowers once, then leaves pups behind and dies.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Medium
- Water
- Once a weekDrench and drain — water the whole surface until it runs from the holes.
- Light
- Bright indirect
- Feed
- Every 60 days
- Humidity
- High
- Hardiness
- Indoors, or out in high summer RHS H1B, to 10°C
- Size
- 0.4 m tall · 0.4 m across
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Origin
- Central and South America
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsSafe for pets
PeopleNot checked yet
Nobody has checked this one against a source for us yet, so treat it as unknown rather than safe.
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-07-31.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
First signs of trouble
- The outer leaves dull and brown from the tips while the bract is still bright — the mother rosette is monocarpic; look for pups at the base rather than a cure.Death after flowering · disorder
- The water in the central cup smells and the leaf bases around it go translucent — flush it through weekly rather than topping it up.Stagnant cup · disease