Puya mirabilis

This is a very nice, compact, and low thorn Puya.  Also a must for those of us with a fetish for chartreuse or green flowers.

I love the contrast of the dark brown and light green.

The old flowers also do a neat twist/cork screw effect as they whither away.  I have pollinated these and grown many from seed.

One more flower...

Unlike the first Puyas I tried these are small 1 foot rosettes, not the hughe 5 foot clumps of Puya berteroniana.  Though P. berteroniana has almost more amazing blue flowers with orange pollen--it is just full of razor sharp teeth on every blade and too big for me.  This one has some teeth, but just small and only a bit painful and only if you grabbed a handful.

If you can handle aloes and agave you wouldn't be bothered by this.  So don't think all Puya are death traps...  The P. berteroniana has myths told about it ensnaring small animals in its thorns and benefiting from the added nourishment--that is not this plant at all.  Sorry I probably should not perpetuate what I bet is not true for any Puya, but some really are that sharp and the thorns angle just that way so that what gets in really can't pull back out.

This this is now my only Puya.  I just visit the big guys at the S.F. Arboretum!   

Stats:

• Native to Bolivia
• Blooms in about a year after planting, 2 from seed--not the decade of some Puyas
• About 1 foot by 1 foot, maybe 2 with time
• Hardy to 20 degrees...  Has survived for me in wet winters and frosts in the 28 degree F, but I suspect best hardiness is to keep it dry and not wet all the time.

Sansevieria kirkii var. pulchra ‘Coppertone’

 This is one of my favorite Sansevierias. The metallic and wavy look of the leaves reminds of the results of fold forming copper especially when tarnished later and burnt well with a torch in the annealing steps.  The color is better or more coppery in brighter light. 

And this month I am getting a rare treat... blooms.  

  
These are way more spectacular plants if they were grown outdoors with bright light.  But like almost everyone mine is a house plan since they are on a zone 10 or 11 plant at best.  And they take low light with little complaint at all except darker color and less growth.

Here is a copy leaves that are newer and have been getting the sun from the window they sit next to.

The plan can grow so leaves over 1.5 feet so needs a large table sometimes to not have leaves reaching out at people, but I am happy with the size.  And the hiegt has never been over 2 feet and the tend to arch more horizontal than up.

Stats:

• Full Sun to Partial Shade 
• Balanced fertilizer a couple times a year--but don't over do it and does need some to flower along with light.
• Flowers sporatically over year
• Low water needs, I use clay pots that breath--your average terracotta, not glazed--though rot is not a big problem, just never had it happen this way and have in glazed pots with poor drainage.
• Zone 10-11 if daring to try outside
• Growth is to a 2 foot rosette 
• Good houseplant, but will grow slow in low light--which is perfect if you want that basic size you have, bad if you love see plants grow fast and send you new leaves to look at each month.