How to care for vriesea (Lutheria splendens)

Lutheria splendens · Flaming sword

Vriesea (Lutheria splendens) — an epiphytic bromeliad of tropical rain forests, with a rosette of grey-green strap-shaped leaves to 60 cm long, banded with dark green or reddish-brown, and an erect spike of scarlet bracts with small yellow flowers. Vriesea needs partial shade and 16–27 °C, with 50–75 % air humidity. Water it about every 7 days while it grows and about every 14 days in the winter rest.

Updated: November 4, 2026

Watering and repotting vriesea through the year

It lives indoors all year, so it has no sowing or planting dates: it grows from March to September and rests from October to February (the other way round in the southern hemisphere).

Repot it about every 24 months.

When to plant vriesea?

Plant or repot vriesea in spring, as it starts into growth; early to midsummer also works. It is a houseplant, so it has no outdoor planting date and no frost decides it: just avoid autumn and winter, when growth slows and fresh compost stays wet too long. After that, move it to a slightly larger pot about every two years, or sooner once roots circle the pot or grow through the drainage holes.

Watering in the growing and resting halves of the year: Watering and repotting vriesea through the year.

Sources: RHS: How to repot a plant · Penn State Extension: Repotting houseplants

Quick facts

Type	Houseplant
Latin name	Lutheria splendens
Family	Bromeliaceae
Also called	Flaming sword
Light	Partial shade
Air humidity	50–75 %
Frost	does not tolerate frost
Repotting	every 24 months
Grown in	At home

Vriesea care by growth stage

At home

Stage	Watering	Temperature	Feeding
Growth	every 7 days	16…27 °C	balanced (NPK), 14 days into the stage; balanced (NPK), 46 days into the stage; balanced (NPK), 78 days into the stage; balanced (NPK), 110 days into the stage; balanced (NPK), 142 days into the stage
Winter rest	every 14 days	—	—

Growing notes

Light

Bright indirect light to partial shade, for example by a north or east window. Give it a sheltered position.

Soil

Bromeliad or orchid potting mix that is moist but well drained and slightly acidic. Under glass it can also be mounted on bark or a branch, as it grows in the wild.

Care

Water through the central cup and keep the mix moist but well drained, letting the top half dry between waterings; keep it just moist in winter. Empty and refill the cup every month or two so the water does not stagnate. It thrives at about 16–27 °C with high humidity; while it is growing RHS suggests misting daily. Feed with a quarter-strength foliar feed every 4–5 weeks in the growing season. The rosette flowers once and dies, but it first makes offsets at its base; remove them in spring and pot them up, and they flower in 3–5 years. Seed is slow and unreliable. Watch for scale insects and mealybugs; leaf spots and bacterial soft rot can occur.

Pests and diseases of Vriesea

1 problem is recorded for vriesea; it has a page with symptoms, treatment and prevention.

Pests

Scale insects

Other plants of the Bromeliaceae family

Vriesea belongs to Bromeliaceae; 3 other plants of this family have a guide here.

Plant lists it is in

Part of: Houseplants · Houseplants that like humid air

Sources

Figures checked against these sources.