General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Partial or Dappled Shade
Water Preferences: Mesic
Soil pH Preferences: Slightly acid (6.1 – 6.5)
Neutral (6.6 – 7.3)
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 10a -1.1 °C (30 °F) to +1.7 °C (35 °F)
Plant Height: 1 to 3 feet
Plant Spread: 1 to 2 feet
Leaves: Evergreen
Other: Basal rosette of silvery-green, stiff, strapped shaped leaves with spines along the margins.
Flowers: Showy
Flower Color: Purple
Red
Other: Attractive pink bracts surrounding small violet-purple flowers that mature to red.
Bloom Size: Under 1"
Flower Time: Spring
Late spring or early summer
Summer
Late summer or early fall
Suitable Locations: Houseplant
Uses: Provides winter interest
Groundcover
Resistances: Humidity tolerant
Propagation: Other methods: Offsets
Containers: Suitable in 3 gallon or larger
Suitable for hanging baskets
Needs repotting every 2 to 3 years
Needs excellent drainage in pots
Preferred depth: Aechmea fasciata has a very shallow root system so a shallow container works best for this plant.
Miscellaneous: Epiphytic
Monocarpic
Awards and Recognitions: RHS AGM

Image
Common names
  • Urn Plant
  • Silver Vase Bromeliad
  • Bromeliad
Botanical names
  • Accepted: Aechmea fasciata
  • Synonym: Aechmea fasciata var. fasciata

Photo Gallery
Location: My patio zone 9 Louisiana
Date: 2018-07-03
Full bloom with pink & purple mature inner flowers
Location: Our Home, DeLand, FL
Date: 2016-03-24
Location: Botanical Graden Meise - Nationale Plantentuin Meise - Brussel
Date: 2017-09-27
Location: Sugar Mill Gardens, Port Orange, Florida
Date: 2012-08-22
Aechmea fasciata with Guzmania at base.
Location: Plano, TX
Date: 2018-07-30
Location: Plano, TX
Date: 2018-07-20
Location: Jersey City, NJ
Date: 2014-08-04
finally blooming after 5 years, grown indoors
Location: My patio zone 9 Louisiana
Date: 2018-06-14
First evidence of a coming flower
Location: Our home, DeLand, FL
Date: 2017-03-04
Location: Plano, TX
Date: 2018-07-20
Location: My patio zone 9 Louisiana
Date: 2018-10-31
Mother still blooming & the pup I just seperated & potted
Location: Winter Springs, FL zone 9b
Date: 2017-07-20
Location: Fred's garden in Naples, FL
Date: 6/20/11
a common box store bromeliad with a long lasting inflorescence
Photo by SleepyWhippet
Location: Farmer Johns Greenhouse, Farmington Hills, MI
Date: 2009-03-23
Location: English Gardens, W. Bloomfield, MI
Date: 2010-03-11
Location: English Gardens, W. Bloomfield, MI
Date: 2010-03-11
Location: English Gardens, W. Bloomfield, MI
Date: 2010-03-11
Location: My Plant, Dearborn Heights, MI
Date: 2018-08-19
Close up of emerging bud.
Location: Ka'anapali, Maui, Hawaii
Date: 2012-09-29
Photo by pinkiris
Location: Corpus Christi, TX
Location: Corpus Christi, TX
Date: 2015-06-20
Location: Port Orange, Florida
Date: 2013-01-18
Location: Jersey City, NJ
Date: 2014-08-08
grown indoors, pups blooming after 5 years
Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Date: 2014-11-12
Location: English Gardens, W. Bloomfield, MI
Date: 2010-03-11
Location: My Plants, Dearborn Hts, MI
Date: 2018-08-19
2 pups all grown up, one producing so far.
Location: RHS Wisley, Surrey, UK.
Date: 2022-08-04
Location: Ka'anapali, Maui, Hawaii
Date: 2012-09-29
Photo by Cinta
Location: Port Orange, Florida
Date: 2013-01-18

Date: 2006-07-15
Photo courtesy of: Martin Heigan
Location: Atlanta BG
Date: Aug 16
Location: Southwest Florida
Date: fall 2010
This has a very long lasting bloom.
Location: Manie van der Schijff Botanical Garden, Pretoria, South Africa
credit: JMK

Date: 2015-01-09
Photo by sedumzz
Location: Tampa FL
Date: Nov 2017
Spines along leaf margin
Location: Jefferson County, Texas
Date: April 6, 2016
This plant is tagged in:
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Comments:
  • Posted by DaylilySLP (Dearborn Hts, MI - Zone 6b) on Aug 28, 2018 6:39 PM concerning plant:
    I bought this plant a few years ago. It produced 2 pups after blooming.
    They have grown up and one is producing a bloom.
    Really exciting, as I live in Michigan.
    They grow in my Orchid room in the winter and outdoors under a gazebo in the summer.
    I will post a pic of the first emerging.
  • Posted by tabbycat (Youngsville, LA - Zone 9b) on Jun 12, 2018 8:03 AM concerning plant:
    Hurray! I found a flower forming in my 4-year-old plant on 6-12-18. I got it in a trade as a 3-inch pup. It is now a pretty silvery green plant 15 inches high and 18 inches wide . All this time it's been in the same place under my porch where it gets bright light all day. I water it in the center and soil once a week with rain water I collect in a nearby barrel. I'll post a photo of it in flower later when it blooms.
  • Posted by plantladylin (Sebastian, Florida - Zone 10a) on Jan 20, 2013 10:18 AM concerning plant:
    Native to Brazil, Aechmea fasciata is a common landscape plant in tropical zones 10 and 11, but it's also a favorite house plant for many. Urn Plant has shallow roots and can be grown as an epiphyte or in shallow containers with a well draining potting medium; if the roots remain too moist, rot will occur and the plant will die. This Bromeliad prefers bright light (partial sun to bright shade) and temperatures of 50ºF - 80ºF. The 12 inch to 15 inch leaves of Aechmea faciata form a center rosette where a long lasting flower stalk is produced with clusters of pink bracts and small blue-purple flowers. After flowering the plant will produce 2 or 3 "pups" which can be removed and potted up separately.
  • Posted by tabbycat (Youngsville, LA - Zone 9b) on Jul 18, 2018 9:21 PM concerning plant:
    My beautiful flower has bloomed for a month but is now on its way down. I got lovely pictures I'll post later. It grows on my south-facing porch, where it gets very bright light all day but no direct sun. At 4 years old it started as a 3 inch pup and is now 18 inches wide and tall. I love the silvery-green shades of the leaves, but watch out for the shark teeth on the edges. I read to watch for tiny pups to form after the flower finishes.
Plant Events from our members
skylark On December 1, 2022 Maintenance performed
Only 1 tiny pup survived (water rooted!)
skylark On October 18, 2022 Transplanted
downpotted 3 small pups left
skylark On September 13, 2021 Miscellaneous Event
removed old growth: 1 pup left, down potted
skylark On April 24, 2019 Miscellaneous Event
3 pups
skylark On April 1, 2014 Miscellaneous Event
2 pups
» Post your own event for this plant

Discussion Threads about this plant
Thread Title Last Reply Replies
My Urn Plant by DaylilySLP Feb 5, 2019 9:12 AM 0
Pretty but not Aechmea fasciata by plantladylin May 5, 2023 8:29 AM 4

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