Sign in Start free
Species library › Alcantarea › Alcantarea imperialis
Other Well documented

Alcantarea imperialis

A giant tank bromeliad that grows on bare granite cliffs in the mountains of Rio de Janeiro state, forming rosettes over a metre wide with a tall flower spike. It wants strong sun, warm days, cool nights and plenty of water in summer.

Alcantarea imperialis
Photo: MargaretRDonald, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
At home, aim for
Day IntermediateTargets in Plantistry
Night Close to the dayTargets 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

Exposed granite and gneiss inselbergs and cliff faces in the Atlantic Forest mountains, rooted in thin mats on bare rock.

Recorded from 390 to 1,650 m, median about 940 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

Grow Alcantarea imperialis? Add it to a free garden and its full profile opens. Pro opens all 38,374 profiles in the library, plants and fungi.

Start free Sign in

More Alcantarea

Alcantarea geniculata Alcantarea regina Alcantarea burle-marxii Alcantarea glaziouana Alcantarea nahoumii Alcantarea odorata Alcantarea vinicolor Alcantarea benzingii Alcantarea brasiliana Alcantarea extensa Alcantarea farneyi Alcantarea heloisae All 46 →

Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, used under its CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, unmodified.