Aechmea Fasciata -Urn Plant or Silver Vase Plant

Aechmea Fasciata (Urn Plant or Silver Vase Plant) makes a great houseplant because it’s beautiful and low-maintenance.  These Aechmea plant care tips will help keep yours healthy as can be this tropical beauty makes a great houseplant and is so easy to care for.

AECHMEA PLANT CARE TIPS

Light

Aechmeas like bright light, like near an east or west window. They need this exposure to bring out the variegation in their foliage & also to flower. They’ll do okay in lower light for a few weeks but if you’re growing 1 for the long haul, bright is best. Just be sure to keep it out of direct, hot sun because it’ll burn.

Water

Aechmeas are epiphytes & in nature grow attached to other plants & even rocks. They get the moisture & nutrients they need through their foliage. It’s best to keep the vase, cup, urn or tank (the center where the flower arises out of) 1/4 to 1/2 way full of water.

It was found that the center of the plant will begin to rot over time if it’s kept completely full, especially in the winter months. Be sure to flush out that vase every 1-2 months with fresh water so bacteria doesn’t build up. water the growing medium (letting the water thoroughly drain out of the pot) again every 1-2 months, depending on the temperature. Aechmea would welcome occasional spraying of the foliage every now & then.

Fertilizing

Aechmeas, like other Bromeliads, get their nutrients from matter which falls on them from plants above. For this reason, it’s best to spray the fertilizer onto the foliage & the surface of the growing medium. You can use an all-purpose Orchid food, diluted to 1/2 strength, or this fertilizer formulated for air plants 

I’ve never fed Bromeliads because I found they really didn’t need it. If your Aechmea does, just be sure not to put too much if any fertilizer in the vase (the salts build up) & do the feeding in spring or summer.

Repotting

Aechmeas don’t have an extensive root system so  most likely will never need to be repotted.

Propagating

Aechmeas are easily propagated by the pups, or babies, which are produced off the mother plant. Here’s a big head’s up: the flower and stalk will eventually brown & die. Cut the stalk completely off.

You’ll see those pups will start to form off the base of the mother plant. The plant will slowly start to die (sad but true – it’s just part of its life cycle!).

You can just cut away the foliage of the mother plant after its completely dried and dead leaving the pups to form in that same pot. Or, you can remove the pups after they’ve reached  4-6″ & put them in a new pot. another option is to mount them on driftwood or bark.

Humidity / Temperature

Average on both is fine. Just know that Aechmeas prefer good air circulation. I grew Bromeliads in my Santa Barbara garden just a few blocks from the ocean so they got a fair amount of moisture from the air. If your home is really dry, then mist your Aechmea once a week. I grow my Bromeliads outdoors in the shade here in my Tucson garden so I up the ante with the water in those uber hot summer months.

Safe For Pets

These are absolutely safe for plants