Alcantarea imperialis

Native to Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, this giant perennial bromeliad grows on rocky cliffs and outcrops. Its broad rosette can span about 5 feet, while the branched flower stalk reaches about 10 feet tall. Overlapping leaf bases form a tank that stores rainwater. Plants may take a decade or longer to produce their pale, fragrant flowers, which are pollinated by bats. Each rosette flowers once and then dies, usually leaving offsets that continue growing. Brazil lists the wild species as Vulnerable; fires and collection for ornamental use threaten its populations. Photographed in Colombia.