Puya assurgens

The Puya assurgens is an interesting species for its foliage, which is less armed with spines, its resistance to cold and dry weather, and its beautiful coral pink flowering. It is a plant related to pineapples that possesses the exotic charm of yuccas, Nolinas, and other Dasylirions, and can be easily grown in pots. It first forms a beautiful rosette of curved, green, slightly dentate leaves with a silvery reverse, from which an original flowering stem emerges after a few years, loaded with tubular flowers of a fairly soft coral pink colour. This puya can be planted on a rockery or a well-drained slope in a mild climate garden, where it will attract all eyes.

The Puya assurgens is a succulent perennial plant that belongs to the bromeliad family. It originates from a small region located around the Yala River and its lagoons, in the extreme northwest of Argentina, where it grows on rocky outcrops at altitudes between 1700 and 2050 m (5577 and 6726ft). This hardy species, which can withstand temperatures down to about -8°C (17.6°F), should be protected from humidity in winter or overwintered in a cold greenhouse. It is drought-resistant once established and suitable for xeriscaping. Its foliage persists throughout the year.

The plant grows quite slowly, forming a rosette of basal leaves that can reach 50 cm (20in) in height and 70 cm (28in) in width. The leaves are curved towards the ground, rather narrow, gutter-shaped, leathery, pointed, covered with a waxy film, and edged with fine teeth that tend to disappear over time. They are a fairly vivid green in color, but their reverse is covered with a waxy patina of glaucous to silver-grey colour. Flowering usually takes place in early summer in Europe, in June-July. From the centre of the mature rosette, one or more branched flowering stems, pink in colour and covered with floral buds, emerge at a height of 1 m (3ft) from the ground. The flowers, with 3 fleshy petals, are light coral pink with a green-blue throat. Puya assurgens most often persists thanks to the development of daughter rosettes that grow near the stump.

Puya assurgens requires being planted in a perfectly well-drained, dry soil in winter. This collector's plant finds its place in a rockery or a gravel garden in mild climates. To accompany it, consider, for example, yuccas, Dasylirions, Phormiums, and Nolinas. This plant is easily grown on a terrace, in a cactus-type substrate, where it will reign in a beautiful pot. As soon as the first cold weather arrives, you should store it, handling it with caution due to its spines, in the greenhouse or conservatory.