Neoregelia carolinae 'Rafael'

Blushing bromeliad, Neoregelia carolinae, is named after its habit of developing a red centre just as it’s about to flower. Native to Brazil, it’s one of the most commonly grown bromeliads – typically grown in the UK as a houseplant.

Despite being an epiphyte – a plant that grows on other plants and derives its nutrients from the air – it's happy growing in a pot of compost. Forming a rosette of slim, strap-like leaves, it bears a cluster of small, inconspicuous flowers before developing off-shoots and dying. New plants can easily be propagated from the off-shoots, although it will take two-three years before they start to ’blush’.

Neoregelia carolinae ‘Rafael’ is a particularly lovely cultivar, bearing variegated pink-red foliage. Grow in moist but well-drained compost in a humid, bright spot out of direct sunlight.