Vriesea splendens, commonly called flaming sword, is a bromeliad with generally lance-shaped or linear foliage 8 – 24 inches long that is green or purplish often with crossbands of dark brown. The leaves have smooth margins and may have colorful bracts at the leaf bases. The genus name honors Willem Hendrik de Vriese (1806-1862), Dutch botanist, professor of botany first at Amsterdam, then at Leiden.

Flaming sword needs protection from bright light and temperatures below 50° F. Water when soil is dry. A foliar feed high in potash and low in nitrogen (other than in the form of urea) will increase flower size. High levels of fertility will leave a salt build-up on foliage. Keep rosette cup filled with tepid water that has been allowed to stand for several hours. This plant is epiphytic and can be grown attached to slabs or bark. If grown in a container, plant in commercial bromeliad or orchid mix. Do not use pesticides. The mother plant dies after flowering, but new plantlets can be repotted to replace it.

Courtesy of NYBG Plant Information Services