(Photograph = hybrid Puya venusta, Patricio Novoa Quezada)
Introduction
Puya plants are members of the pineapple family (Bromeliaceae). The various species are native to the Andes of South America and southern Central America. Some species are like agaves in being monocarpic: a rosette grows for many years, then flowers once and dies.
The Details
Puya raimondii is the largest bromeliad and the best-known Puya. The foliage alone can reach about 10 ft tall, and the flower spike can easily reach 30 ft. Other Puya species can be large and striking in the landscape, though not as massive as P. raimondii. Flowers are produced in clusters on a central spike, and some species have large, exotically colored blooms (for example, blue-green petals). Plants may take 50–80 years to mature and then produce many small, wind-blown seeds. A mature P. raimondii can produce over 10 million seeds.
There are dozens of Puya species. Many authors divide the genus into two subgenera—Puya and Puyopsis—rather than treating most species as a separate genus. Populations are often small—dozens to hundreds of plants—frequently on rocky or very porous soils, which makes them susceptible to disturbance by people and by fire.
Smaller plants that are not yet flowering size can be grown in large pots in areas without severe frost. Keep them relatively dry in fast-draining soil; waterlogging can kill.
Additional Reading: Puya Phylogenetics
