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Aechmea fasciata
In Singapore: Urn Plant, Silver Vase (Grown in Singapore)
Aechmea fasciata, the urn plant or silver vase, is a bromeliad from Brazil grown mainly as a houseplant for its silver-banded rosette and water-holding central cup. Keep the cup filled with water and give it bright indirect light with some shade.
Aechmea fasciata is a species of flowering plant in the Bromeliaceae family. It is commonly called the silver vase or urn plant and is native to Brazil. This plant is probably the best known species in this genus, and it is often grown as a houseplant in temperate areas.
Aechmea fasciata requires partial shade to bright indirect light, and can handle brief periods of early morning sunlight, but should be shielded from the sun during the hottest parts of the day. Excessive sun exposure will cause burning on the foliage and dehydration of the plant; comparatively, reduced sunlight or darker conditions will prevent the plant's characteristic coloration and striping from developing fully, instead reverting to a deeper hue of pastel-green/teal-blue in an effort to photosynthesize effectively in the shade. Less bright indirect light will also limit flowering. As with all bromeliads and epiphytes, Aechmea fasciata requires adequate airflow around the entire plant to stay fresh.
Over time, the plant’s roots will adhere to the surface provided, and the plant will form a small colony. The gardener simply keeps the "cup" or funnels filled with water.
Aechmea fasciata, while not lethally poisonous, is listed in the FDA Poisonous Plant Database under the section "skin-irritating substances in plants". As bromeliads naturally produce the enzyme and alkaloid bromelain—commonly extracted from pineapples (also a bromeliad) as a supplement and digestive enzyme—, skin contact with the plant's sharp, serrated leaf margins is known to cause contact dermititis, phytophotodermatitis, and contact allergy; typical side effects are a mild, itchy sensation or redness. Therefore leather gloves are recommended when working with bromeliads, for example, arm-length or rose-pruning gloves.
Aechmea apocalyptica · Aechmea blumenavii · Amazonian Zebra Plant · Brazilian Vaseplant · Coralberry · Aechmea gamosepala · Aechmea kleinii · Aechmea lueddemanniana · Arghan · Christmas Jewels · Aechmea rubens · Aechmea serrata
[Contains information from Leaf Area Index (LAI) and Heritage Trees from data.gov.sg (National Parks Board), made available under the terms of the Singapore Open Data Licence version 1.0]
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Aechmea fasciata by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
