Blushing bromeliad

Neoregelia carolinae

In other languages: Neoregelia (Nederlands) · Néorégélia (Français)

Neoregelia carolinae comes from the forests of Brazil, where it grows as an epiphyte on tree branches. It forms a wide, low rosette of stiff, strap-shaped, glossy green leaves with finely toothed edges, which make a funnel or cup in the centre that holds rainwater. At flowering time the heart of the rosette turns bright red, which gave the plant its name blushing bromeliad; the true flowers are small and violet-blue and hide in the cup. It is easy, likes a bright spot and stays attractive for months. There are also variegated forms with cream-white stripes.

Updated on 9 October 2026

Light
Partial shade
no harsh midday sun
Moisture
Normal
no wet feet
Legal basis
Potting soil
Hardiness
Houseplant
min. 15 °C
Size
0.3 m
tall, 0.6 m wide

Key facts
Height	0.3 m
Poisonous to people and pets	Not known to be poisonous

Identify

Blushing bromeliad: how do you recognise it?

Habit: Wide, low rosette about 30 cm tall and 60 cm across; an epiphyte, growing on tree branches in the wild.
Leaves: Stiff, strap-shaped, about 30–40 cm long, glossy green with finely toothed, sharp edges; the leaves form a cup that holds water.
Colour: At flowering time the heart of the rosette turns bright red and often stays colourful for several months.
Flower: Small violet-blue flowers hidden in the cup and short-lived; the colour of the leaves is the real ornament.
Roots: Small; they mainly anchor the plant, which takes up water through its leaves and cup.

Plants: April–May

In your garden

Why grow it?

A bright red heart that lasts for months: a long-lasting splash of colour without having to replace the plant.
Glossy, sturdy foliage that looks good all year.
Little work: you mainly fill the cup with water and keep the compost lightly moist.
Stays low and wide: suits a windowsill or a dish with other bromeliads.
Produces offsets (pups), so that with time you get new plants.

Blushing bromeliad: where does it grow best?

Partial shade to plenty of bright but indirect light, for example at an east- or west-facing window; no strong midday sun, which scorches the leaves. Too little light gives a green heart.
Very airy, acid, peat-rich mix, such as bromeliad compost with bark and perlite; never heavy, wet garden soil.
Lightly moist compost, the cup filled with water and humid air; never soggy.
Warm, 18–25 °C and not below 15 °C; no draughts and not directly above a radiator.

Light: Bright, out of direct sun
Potting soil: Airy, humus-rich compost
Acidity: Acid
Watering: Moderately
Size: 0.3 m tall, 0.6 m wide
Temperature: Minimum 15 °C

Goes well with

Guzmania: Another bromeliad with bright red or yellow bracts, pretty in a small group.
Vriesea: A bromeliad with a coloured flower spike in a matching shade.
Orchid: Suits it for warmth, light and humidity.
Calathea: Beautifully marked foliage that enjoys the same humid air.

Maintenance

Blushing bromeliad: when and how to plant it?

Plant in April–May.

Pot in April–May, or as soon as the plant outgrows its pot or when a pup has been separated.
Choose a small, heavy pot with a drainage hole; the roots are small and the rosette is wide, so a light pot topples easily.
Make a very airy, acid mix of bromeliad compost or peat with bark and perlite; put a few clay pebbles at the bottom for drainage.
Set the plant at the same depth as before, keeping the leaf bases above the compost, and firm lightly.
Water with lukewarm, low-lime water and fill the cup to between one third and half.

Care

Water: Keep the cup filled with low-lime water (rainwater is ideal) and refresh it every 2–4 weeks so that it does not go stale. Keep the compost lightly moist but not wet; let the top layer dry out slightly between waterings.
Feeding: From April to September, once a month, add a weak dose of bromeliad or foliage plant feed to the watering water (a quarter of the recommended dose). Not in winter.
Humidity: Humid air, about 50–60 % or more; mist the leaves now and then with lukewarm water and wipe them with a cloth.
Offsets: After flowering the mother plant slowly declines but produces pups. Leave them on the mother until they are one third to half her size.
Repotting: Only when needed, in spring; the plant needs only a small pot.

Tip: Keep the cup filled with rainwater and refresh it every few weeks; in winter keep it low and use lukewarm water so that the heart does not rot.

Blushing bromeliad: when to prune it?

When: A bromeliad is not pruned. You only remove dead leaves and, after a while, the dying mother plant.

How:

Cut withered lower leaves close to the base with a sharp, clean knife or scissors.
Remove faded flowers and debris from the cup.
Remove the mother plant once she is completely dead: cut her off just above the compost and let the pups grow on.
Wear gloves: the leaf edges have sharp little teeth.

Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Offsets (pups): When a pup is one third to half the size of the mother (at least 10–15 cm), cut it off close to the mother with a sharp, clean knife, preferably with a few roots of its own. Pot it in a small pot of bromeliad compost and keep it warm and humid. It flowers after a few years.
Seed: Possible, but slow: it takes years before the seedlings form a flowering rosette; in practice you use offsets.

Blushing bromeliad: how does it get through the winter?

Not hardy: keep it above 15 °C all year, also at night and in winter.
Water less in winter: fill the cup only to a quarter or half, or leave it almost empty, and use lukewarm water; cold water in the cup causes rot.
Give it a bright spot without direct sun, away from radiators and cold draughts.

Diseases and pests

Heart rot: The central leaves go soft and pull out easily, sometimes with a rotten smell. Usually caused by standing water in the cup in the cold. Let the cup dry, water less and keep it warm.
Brown leaf tips: Caused by dry air, hard water or salt build-up. Raise the humidity, use rainwater and flush the cup regularly.
Scale and mealybug: Brown scales or white, cottony tufts at the leaf bases and on the leaves. Wipe them off with a cloth and a little soft soap or with a cotton bud and repeat after a week.
Colour fades: A green or dull heart means too little light. Move it to a brighter place, without full sun.
Scorched leaves: Pale or brown dried patches from strong sun. Move the plant out of strong sun.

Through the year

January: Rest: bright and warm, cup only slightly filled, no feeding.
February: Rest: bright and warm, little water.
March: Refresh the water in the cup. Water more as it gets warmer.
April: Repot or separate pups. Start weak feeding.
May: Repot or separate pups. Fill the cup and refresh it every 2–4 weeks.
June: Keep the cup filled and refresh it. Weak feed. Humid air.
July: Fill and refresh the cup. Weak feed.
August: Fill and refresh the cup. Weak feed.
September: Stop feeding. Limit the water in the cup.
October: Less water, cup only half filled.
November: Rest: bright and warm, little water.
December: Rest: bright and warm, little water.

You and this species

Did you know?

The genus name Neoregelia honours Eduard Regel, a German-Russian botanist and gardener who directed the botanic garden in St Petersburg.
Bromeliads belong to the same family (Bromeliaceae) as the pineapple.
In the wild the cups collect rainwater and leaf litter, and small animals such as insects and tree frogs can live in them.

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