Alcantarea benzingii

A large rosette bromeliad from the granite and gneiss inselbergs of Espirito Santo in southeastern Brazil, known from very few wild records. Grow it like other inselberg Alcantarea: strong sun, sharp drainage, warm days with cool nights and a drier winter.

At home, aim for

Day IntermediateTargets in Plantistry

Night A clear drop at nightTargets in Plantistry

Humidity Ordinary room humidityBand in Plantistry

Light Full sunDLI and PPFD in Plantistry

Expects a seasonal restGrows on rock (lithophyte)

Where it grows wild

Alcantarea of this region grow on exposed rock faces and ledges of inselbergs, rooting into thin mats of debris and moss in rock cracks. The single wild record sits in the mountainous interior of Espirito Santo; habitat detail here is generalised from the genus.

The one recorded site is near 960 m; the genus on these outcrops ranges from near sea level to about 1,500 m.

Brazil Southeast

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates

✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it

✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light

✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it

✓ Substrate and airflow

✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

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Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app.