Flaming Sword Lutheria splendens

The flaming sword is an epiphytic herbaceous perennial that is native to the tropical rain forests of Eastern Colombia to Trinidad and Tobago. It is found growing at the base of trees in wet shady forests or along the branches of trees. It is a member of the pineapple family (Bromeliaceae). The genus name honors Harry E. Luther, an American botanist and bromeliad expert. The specific epithet, splendens, means "splendid."

The flaming sword prefers bright, indirect sunlight to partial shade and grows best in a potting mix or orchid mix. They will thrive in temperatures between 60 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit and high humidity levels. The plant is watered through its central cup, and the soil should be moist but well-drained. Allow the top half of the potting mix to dry out between waterings. Propagation of the flaming sword can be done by using the seed, but this method is unreliable. It is much easier to propagate the offsets or pups that the parent plant produces at the base or center of its rosette. The parent plant will die after flowering and offset production. The offsets will bloom in 3 to 5 years.

The plant can reach up to about 2 to 3 feet tall and 1.5 to 2 feet wide. It has broad, smooth, soft, linear to lance-shaped, grayish-green or purplish leaves with dark green or reddish-brown horizontal bands. The leaves can grow up to 2 feet long. They are arranged in a rosette pattern that forms a central cup that traps and holds water. The yellow, tubular flowers grow on an erect spike emerging from the center of the rosette that is comprised of overlapping red bracts. The spike measures up to 1.5 feet tall. 

The flaming sword is frequently used as a container plant and is often seen at indoor business sites. It is epiphytic and can be attached to slabs or dark for a more tropical appearance.

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: This plant may be susceptible to scale and mealybugs. Leaf spots and bacterial soft rot can occur.