Complete guide to flaming sword care

The flaming sword plant, also known as a vriesea, is a beautiful tropical houseplant that is known for its striking appearance and easy care. With its tall, sword-shaped leaves and vibrant bracts, this plant can add a splash of colour to any room. Our flaming sword plants are Ava the vriesea intenso ‘Salmon’, Kenan the vriesea intenso ‘Orange Flame’ and Meriel the vriesea ‘Astrid’.  In this article, we’ll explore how to care for a flaming sword plant. Here are our top tips to keeping them happy and healthy in your home.

• Help your plant flower by popping it in a spot that gets bright, indirect light
• Give it a drink when the top two inches of soil feel dry
• It’s a tropical plant, so will feel right at home in a bright, steamy spot

Flaming swords are part of the bromeliad family. Originating from South and Central America, this flaming sword plant will bring a tropical flare to your home. In the wild, it’s an epiphyte - which means it likes to grow on other plants. Don’t worry though, yours will be quite happy in its nursery pot. This is a tropical plant that feeds through its leaves by collecting water, dead leaves and droppings in flowering rosette. Not to worry if you don’t have bird droppings to hand, a regular misting in summer will do the trick.

When it comes to caring for your flaming sword plant, the first step is to choose the right spot for it. These plants thrive in bright, indirect light, which means they shouldn’t be placed in direct sunlight, as this can burn their leaves. Ideally, they should be in a spot near a north or east-facing window where they can receive bright, filtered light.

When it comes to watering your flaming sword plant, it’s important to keep the soil evenly moist but not waterlogged. This plant prefers soil that is well-draining, so it is important to keep it in a nursery pot with good drainage holes to prevent water from pooling in the bottom. Throw away any extra water that collects in the decorative pot. Water the plant when the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch, and try to use room-temperature water to prevent shock to the roots.

The flaming sword plant prefers warm, humid conditions, so it’s important to keep it in a warm spot away from cold draughts. A temperature range of 18-27°C is usually ideal for this plant. This plant will enjoy a humid environment that reminds it of its jungle home, so mist your flaming sword every few days.

It’s hungry work growing those colourful bracts. To keep your flaming sword plant healthy and thriving, it is important to feed it with a diluted balanced, water-soluble fertiliser once a month during the growing season (spring and summer). You can use a general-purpose houseplant fertiliser or one that’s specifically formulated for bromeliads. During the winter months, you don’t need to worry about fertilising.

Regular pruning is an important part of caring for your flaming sword plant. This plant tends to grow tall and might need to be trimmed back to keep its shape. Prune away any yellow or brown leaves as soon as you notice them to keep the plant looking healthy.

If you want to propagate your flaming sword plant, you can do so by removing the offsets or ‘pups’ that form at the base of the plant. Gently pull these offsets away from the main plant and repot them in fresh soil. Keep the soil moist and place the new plants in a warm, humid spot until they establish new roots. You can learn more about propagation here.

The flaming sword plant is known for its stunning blooms, which can last for several weeks or even months. To encourage blooming, it is important to keep the plant in a warm, humid environment with bright, indirect light. Blooms typically appear during the summer months, but may also appear at other times of the year. Typically this plant will only bloom once and you should carefully cut off any dead or dying flowers, but you can grow a new flowering plant from any offsets or ‘pups’.

The flaming sword plant is generally pest-free, but it can be susceptible to mealybugs and spider mites. If you notice any signs of pests moving in - webbing or white cotton-like substance on the leaves is a good indicator - you can treat the plant with a mixture of water and mild soap or insecticidal soap. Thoroughly spray all parts of the plant, including the undersides of the leaves, and repeat the treatment every week until the pests are gone.

The flaming sword plant is a stunning and easy-to-care-for houseplant that can add a touch of tropical beauty to any room in your home.