Scarlet star is a tropical, epiphytic herbaceous perennial in the pineapple family (Bromeliaceae) native to rainforest habitats in tropical Americas and the West Indies. The Latin word lingulata means "tongue-shaped" and refers to the leaves. This plant grows well in part to full shade and does well under artificial lights. Use potting soil made for bromeliads or orchids and water sparingly at the roots. Air needs to be able to circulate the roots. Keep water in the center cup of the rosette, especially in the summer. To increase the humidity, consider using a humidifier or placing the plant container on a tray of wet pebbles. After flowering, the main plant will decline and die, but it will make offshoots that can be grown into new plants. It is popular in cultivation and has a basal rosette of green leaves with a flower consisting of red or orange bracts and many small white flowers. Several cultivars are available in other colors. The showy inflorescence can last 2 to 4 months. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: leaf spots, scales, spider mites, and mealybugs are potential problems. VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Edibles, Bulbs, and Houseplants", a plant identification course developed in partnership with Longwood Gardens. More information on Guzmania .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day) | Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
Mature size
Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Clumping
Texture
Coarse
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Rosulate
Leaf shape
Lanceolate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Leathery
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
> 6 inches long
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Up to 18-inch leathery leaves are in a basal rosette, overlapping to form a funnel-like central vase or tank. Simple, stiff, strap-shaped, entire, and have a generally unmarked surface with parallel venation. Offsets may form between the base leaves. Color may change towards the center of the tank.
Flower color
Red/Burgundy; White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Insignificant
Flower shape
Funnel
Flower size
3-6 inches
Flower detail
Round flower head with up to 50 white flowers nestled within the red bracts.
Bloom time
Summer
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
South East Mexico to Tropical America
Distribution
Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, and Bermuda
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Houseplants
Garden tags
#epiphytic #tropical feel #non-toxic for cats #non-toxic for horses #non-toxic for dogs #houseplant #showy flowers #shade tolerant #showy leaves #humidity tolerant #interiorscape #tropical herbaceous perennial #tropical