Hechtia grow and care – leaf plant bromeliads of the genus Hechtia also known as Bakerantha, Hechtia perennial evergreen used as ornamental plant, can grow in subtropics, mediterranean or tropic climate or indoor as houseplant and growing in hardiness zone 10b+.
Leaves color green, red, purple, yellow, grey, leaf linear with spines and sharp in the edge, leaves grow in rosette structure.
Well-drained soil, slightly acid soil, moist soil, warm climate, more than 15C (59F) can survive 3C but not recommend, better to use purified water or rain water, soil should be something light and enteric, because in the nature those plants are mostly air plants live on rocks or crock of tree or air roots in tropical forest with big amount of rains that keep the plants in humidity all time.
What is the best way to start growing?
Plant / Seed / Vegetative reproduction
Is it necessary to use vegetative reproduction? No, but in order to get the same cultivars should use daughter plant
Difficulties or problems when growing: Spines
Planting season: Spring to summer in hardiness zone 10b, spring to autumn in hardiness zone 11, all year in hardiness zone 12+
Pests and diseases: Mealybugs
Pruning season: All year
How to prune:
Dead leaves
Size of the plant: 10-40 cm, 4-16 inches
Growth speed in optimal condition: Medium growing / Slow growing
Water requirement: Average amount of water, need to put water in the middle of the rosette leaves, need humidity and moist, but well ventilated and well-drained soil, like in the nature big amount of rains and the plant that lay down on trees on the plants on the air.
Light conditions in optimal condition for growing: Half Shade better without direct light / Full Shade (with light), those plants like a lot of like but without direct sun, because the sun will burn the leaves and the flowers and leave on the burning marks
Is it possible to grow indoor as houseplant? Yes, mostly it is easier to grow it as houseplants because it’s better to grow it outside the soil in pot like in a nature that mostly its epiphyte
Growing is also possible in a planter /flowerpot / containers: Yes, because it’s an epiphyte it’s actually better to grow it in planter or even on cork, disconnect from the soil, if you choose to grow on cork or bark as need to keep with higher humidity and moist on the roots, better to cover it with a bark or something that will keep the moist in the roots.
Blooming information
Bloom season: Summer / Autumn
General information about the flower: Red or white flowers, the flowers grow in the inner part of the plant, male and female flowers on separate plants
