Puya

( PEW - yuh )

At-A-Glance Information

These perennial plants need full sun and little to moderate water, making them suited for water-wise and wild gardens. Individual plants form basal tufts of foliage that vary from green to greyish-green. After a couple of years of growth, plants mature and begin to produce tall flower stems (typically up to between 3 and 13 feet tall) topped with terminal inflorescences of flowers that range in color from blue-teal to yellow or chartreuse. Plant Puyas as specimens to create a striking focal point in the landscape, to add textural accents to mixed beds or borders, or as container plants on patios or balconies. Take care when planting and handling these flowers in the landscape, as they produce very sharp spines that can cause physical injury to humans and pets.

Puya species and varietals

The genus Puya is a member of the plant family Bromeliaceae and includes 226 species. The plants in this species are closely related to those in Aechmea (Bromeliad), Ananas (Pineapple), Billbergia (Friendship Plant), and Bromelia. The genus name is derived from the Mapuche word for 'point'. Most plants in the genus will grow best in USDA hardiness zones 8-11 or Sunset growing zones 9, 13-17, and 19-24. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

Puya alpestris (Sapphire Tower, Mountain Puya, Chagual, Chagual Azul, Cardón)
These plants are native to the Chilean Andes, where they grow in dry hills and rock outcroppings. They are great plants for xeriscaping, and produce a dense rosette of leaves. After a few years in the ground, these plants produce a raceme of branching inflorescences of metallic teal or turquoise blue-green flowers with orange anthers.

Puya x berteroana (Turquoise Puya, Blue Puya, Chagual)
This hybrid is a cross between Puya alpestris zoellneri and Puya venusta. It forms a foliage clump up to 10 feet across and is native to Chile, producing flowers in springtime. Blooms are metallic-blue to turquoise and form in clusters. Spikey branchlets emerge from flower inflorescences. This species is great for rock gardens or when planted in large containers.

Puya chilensis (Chilean Puya, Sheep-Eating Plant, Chagual, Cardón)
These evergreen, perennial terrestrial bromeliads are endemic to central Chile, and form dense rosettes of greyish green strap-like leaves with hooked spines along their margins. Plants reach up to 7 feet tall when in bloom. Flowers are green to yellow. This species tends to form large colonies of plants over time, spreading by offsets, and is cultivated in many parts of the world.

Caring for Puya

Take care when planting and handling these flowers in the landscape, as they produce very sharp spines that can cause physical injury to humans and pets. Plant your Puya in a spot in the landscape that receives full sun; ideally, these plants thrive when they get between 6 and 8 hours of direct sun each day. They can tolerate partial shade, however they will not flower as profusely. Ensure that soil is well-draining, low in fertility, and has a pH of between 6.0 and 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral). If local soils are compacted and heavy or do not drain well, make sure to amend the planting area with plenty of organic compost or other material before installing. The best time of the year to plant Puya is in springtime or early summertime. This will allow the plant to become established in its new home before harsh weather rolls around. Space plants at least 3-4 feet apart for best coverage and to accommodate their large mature size.

Water new plants regularly as they establish a strong root system. At maturity, Puya are considered drought tolerant, able to get by on rainwater alone for most of the year with supplemental waterings during extended periods of drought. They will flower and otherwise perform best if they receive moisture during their active growing and flowering periods. Prune to remove spent flower spikes and dead leaves to maintain an aesthetically-pleasing appearance. Take care when pruning and handling plant parts, as they produce large spines. In wintertime, cover plants with burlap and mulch around their base to increase the odds of survival. Container-grown specimens can be moved indoors or into a greenhouse over the cooler months of the year. Puya plants are long-lived in the landscape, and can survive for decades before needing to be replaced.

Caring for Puya in Containers
Puya plants are wonderful in the ground, but can also be grown in containers. Choose a container that is at least a few inches wider and deeper than the nursery pot or root ball. Ensure that the pot has adequate drainage holes on the bottom to allow for excess water to flow away. Fill with a well-draining potting mix amended with organic material and perlite, and top with a layer of mulch to suppress weed growth, maintain consistent soil temperatures, and to increase soil moisture retention. Water regularly as the plant establishes itself in its new home. Once established, waterings can be lessened. Puya plants grown in containers will need more frequent irrigation than those grown in the ground. As a general rule of thumb, water whenever the top few inches of soil feels dry to the touch. Prune to remove dead, damaged, or diseased foliage at any time during the growing season. Every few years, check the bottom of the pot to ensure that the plant is not outgrowing its root space. If roots are growing through the drainage holes in the bottom of the container, it is a good indication that it needs to be potted up; choose a slightly larger container and repot.

Propagation

There are two main ways to propagate Puya plants: by offset and by seed. The easiest way is through offset because it requires the least amount of disruption to the parent plant and ensures that you will get an exact clone, which is something not guaranteed by the seed propagation method. Peruse the propagation methods for Sapphire Tower plants below:

Puya Propagation By Offset
The easiest way to propagate Puya is by removing offsets and replanting them where you'd like your new Puya to be. The offsets will come out of the ground easily with a hand shovel when they are young, so make sure to catch them when they about a third of the size of the parent plant. To propagate your Puya by offset, you'll need a clean trowel and a pot filled with soil half amended with gritty sand or other well-draining light substrate. Once you've gathered your materials, follow these steps:

Loosen the soil around the bottom of your Puya plant where the pup has formed and cut it off of the parent plant. Take care to not cut off any roots that are coming out of the pup.
Plant your pup in your pot filled with potting mix and lightly moisten the soil, ensuring that adequate drainage is occurring. Place the container in an area that receives bright light and stays relatively warm.
Give the pup water every time the top inch or two of soil dry out, but don't saturate the soil. After a few weeks of this watering schedule, the pup should be ready to be planted outside in its permanent home. Then, follow the instructions in the care section to grow your pup into an adult plant.

Puya Propagation by Seed

Gather your materials and fill your pot with the potting mix described and smooth out the top, without pressing down too much. You want to keep the soil very well-draining. Place the seeds on top of the soil about a centimeter apart, and cover them with a layer of coarse sand.
Water your seeds, being careful to not disturb their placement under the sand. Keep the seeds moist but not wet as they germinate, which should happen between a week and a few weeks. Your pot or tray should be in an area that receives bright indirect light. It is important to attempt to germinate more than a few seeds, as it is likely that not all seeds will germinate successfully. After most of the seeds have germinated, increase ventilation and provide the seedlings with good light, but not direct sunlight. About five weeks after germination, cut watering to about once a week, allowing the soil to dry out in between waterings. Do not provide water if the soil is still moist.
Your new Puya can be planted in the ground in April or May, depending on how large seedlings are at this point. Then, follow the care instructions listed in the Caring for Puya section above.