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Species library › Guzmania › Guzmania monostachia
Other Partly documented

Guzmania monostachia

West Indian tufted airplant

A tank-forming epiphytic bromeliad of the Caribbean, Florida, Central America and northern South America, with a striped, cone-shaped inflorescence. It is unusually flexible, switching from normal C3 photosynthesis to CAM under strong light or drought. It grows well mounted or in an open mix with bright filtered light, warmth and a filled tank.

At home, aim for
Day Warm-growingTargets in Plantistry
Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry
Humidity Ordinary room humidityBand in Plantistry
Light Bright, filtered lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry
No rest periodGrows on trees (epiphyte)

Where it grows wild

An epiphyte on trees in humid lowland and submontane forest, swamps and hammocks. It can switch to CAM photosynthesis under high light or drought, which lets it occupy both shaded and more exposed perches.

The 36 GBIF records with an elevation span 70–1,290 m, median 441 m. It is mainly a lowland to lower-montane plant.

FloridaBahamasCaribbean: Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, TrinidadCentral America: Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, PanamaColombia and VenezuelaEcuador and PeruBoliviaBrazil: Northeast

🔒 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.