At the time of the Arts Trail, Shirley Petkau of the Kokopelli Art Studio told us to come back at Christmas time to get a picture of this succulent, which is endemic to eastern Brazil, in bloom; so we did, and this is it.
— according to wikipedia:
“This large terrestrial bromeliad was once classified as Vriesea imperialis but is now recognized as part of the genus Alcantarea. It can be found growing on rocky slopes in the Serra dos Órgãos in Rio de Janeiro. It can tolerate dry conditions and enjoys basking in the sunlight. Considered one of the giants of the genus, “its leathery leaves measuring 6 inches in width and 5 feet in length.”[ It will take decades before flowering an imposing red inflorescence that reaches 6 feet in height. ”