Fireworks of garden colour

For the past week several our gardens have been lit up by vivid colour – firework bursts of hot scarlet and pink. These are the flowers of a bromeliad called billbergia pyramidalis – a great ‘garden performer’ also known by its apt name ‘flaming torch’.

Like many bromeliads, ‘flaming torch’ forms a tight cup from its broad leaves, into which water and organic matter falls to feed the plant. This means they can grow in very poor soil, and even epiphytically - on trees. Each plant flowers once, but then sends off numerous offsets from the stem, called ‘pups’, which grow into new plants. Once they have formed their own stems these pups are easily detached to start a new clump or can be given away; though they may require support until they stabilise themselves. Old plants can be removed after they die off over a few years. Dense clumps form quickly, the plants growing to around 40cms high, slightly higher if their stem extends further. The central, torch-like flower which stands upright from the centre of the plant is made up of many individual flowers, in hues of pink, scarlet, and violet-blue, frosted with silver.

Named after the Swedish botanist Gustaf Johan Billberg (1772-1844), they are native to northern South America (Brazil and Venezuela) and the southern Caribbean. Billbergia ‘nutans’, or ‘Queens tears’, is another in this genus. ‘Flaming torch’ makes a great potted specimen, to bring out to a feature position when in flower. They are grown like this at Elizabeth Farm, and also in drifts on the ground. They like dappled light or shade, burning easily if in full sun - and are low maintenance: a splash of water in the cup and some organic matter around their base is likely all they will need. And a bonus for gardeners – like its jewelled cousin, ‘flaming torch’ does not have the myriad of tiny thorns found on many bromeliads!