A rare member of the bromeliad family from the Andes Puya chilensis has caused a stir at the Chelsea flower show recently with its unusual inflorescenses. Larger plants will take a light frost and can be found growing in some Cornish coastal gardens quite successfully. An evergreen desert like perennial it forms large, dense rosettes of grey-green, strap like leaves edged with hooked spines. The green-yellow flowers are born on spikes up to 2 m high which resemble a medieval mace. Makes a useful, if not thorny, house plant until larger. Tolerant to drought but prefers plenty of water in the summer growing season and kept dry in winter.
