Aechmea zebrina 'Surprise'

This evergreen perennial bromeliad is a cultivated selection of a species native to southern Colombia and eastern Ecuador. It has gray-green leaves with dark bands underneath and an upright, colorful flower display that can last for months. The leaf bases form a cup that collects rainwater. Each rosette flowers once, then gradually dies as new shoots develop around it. In Ecuador, wild plants of the species grow high in the forest canopy, where their water-filled rosettes provide habitat for frogs. The wild species is listed as Endangered in Colombia. Photographed in the department of Quindio, Colombia.