Puya Chilensis Chagall * Stunning * Amazing * Flower 10 Seeds * Rare * Evergreen

Puya chilensis, or Puya coarctata locally known as Chagall, originates from the arid hillsides of Chile. Puya is a genus also found on the mountains and foothills of the Andes. These evergreen perennial are terrestrials bromeliads, with strong root systems buried in the earth. The basic form is a large rosette of slender, pale green, leaves spines, pointing inward as well as outward, blade-like, which make for a plant both striking and graceful. Over the years they form extensive clumps, spreading along the contours of the land, the rosettes standing up to 2m high. Each spring the clumps of puyas send up great spikes, 2-3m high, atop which cluster the flowers. The actual flower head is about 1m long and packed with racemes of chunky flowers, the sterile tips of which sticks out, affording a perch for thirsty birds. The individual waxy blooms are 6-8cms long, providing a deep receptacle for the nectar that the birds, bees and even some gardeners find so compelling. The individual Puya flower is a thing of beauty and wonder. They are a strident green-yellow, bright without being lurid, as if lit from within. Hardiness zone: 9 -11, (-5°C/25°F, 4°C/40°F) in winter. If grown outside it is able to withstand light frosts and may even survive brief overnight temperatures as low as -5 C.