Aechmea spectabilis

Native to Colombia and northwestern Venezuela, this large perennial bromeliad grows mainly on trees in forests. In Colombia, it occurs between about 260 and 5,900 feet. Its dense rosette forms a reservoir that collects rainwater, and the plant exceeds 3 feet tall when flowering. The widely branched flower cluster has a loose, pyramidal shape and can reach about 3 feet long. Small red to purple flowers are followed by berries that can ripen to bright lilac. New shoots develop around the parent plant. Photographed in the department of Santander, Colombia.