Aechmea distichantha

Native to subtropical South America, including Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and northeastern Argentina, this bromeliad grows on trees and rocks. It forms dense, upright rosettes of stiff, spiny leaves with grayish scales. Rose-pink bracts surround a compact, branched inflorescence, where small flowers are arranged in two ranks and have white, blue or purple petals. The plant produces offsets freely and can develop into substantial clumps. Rainwater collects between the leaf bases, creating small aquatic habitats for insect larvae and other invertebrates. Photographed in Colombia.