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The Puya mirabilis is part of a group of succulent perennial plants, related to pineapples, that grow in arid heathlands and matorrals in the Andes Mountains. As spectacular as they are robust and undemanding, these strange queens of the Andes have been almost impossible to find in Europe until now, but they are making their way into the hands of collectors of exotic plants who also know how to be patient. This one forms a rosette of very thin, ash-green leaves with a reddish reverse, bordered by bright red spines and produces a slender flower spike, adorned with a few pendulous flowers that resemble green lilies. The Puya mirabilis is not very hardy but easy to cultivate in any well-drained soil, even limestone. In suitable climates, it is an original and decorative rock garden plant. Elsewhere, it can be grown in a pot to protect it from cold dampness in winter.

The Puya mirabilis belongs to the bromeliad family. It is native to the Bolivian and Argentine Andes, where it grows in misty mountains. This species can withstand temperatures as low as -6°C (21.2°F) in a very well-drained soil and tolerates limestone.

This puya shows rather slow growth, forming fairly dense rosettes of leaves that can reach a height and spread of 80 cm (32in). The plant spreads over time to form large clumps composed of multiple rosettes. The leaves are thin, very long, pointed, leathery, ash-green with fine white stripes and bordered by small inward-curved red spines. Mature rosettes, 4 to 6 years old, flower in late spring, in June. From their center emerges a flower spike that resembles an asparagus, and can rise up to 1.50 m (5ft) above the ground. At its tip, it carries about a dozen tubular, flared, 10 cm (4in) long flowers that hang down towards the ground. Each flower consists of 3 light green petals with a dark green midline and 3 grayish sepals. The faded flowers curl up in a curious way. These flared flowers are well adapted to the beaks of nectar-feeding birds in its native Bolivia, which come to drink nectar while ensuring their pollination. Flowering marks the death of the rosette, but the plant ensures its perpetuation by producing daughter rosettes near its base.

In a mild climate garden, Puya mirabilis finds its place among Agaves, Dasylirions, Nolinas and other Aloes, in a well-drained soil exposed to the south. Do not place this spiny plant near a pathway and keep it away from young children. This plant is easily cultivated in a container, using a cactus potting mix. As soon as the first cold weather arrives, you should store it away from humidity and cold, handling it with caution due to its spines, in a temperate greenhouse or unheated conservatory.

The Puya is called the "sheep-eating plant" by English speakers. Indeed, its spiny vegetation allows it to defend itself against the teeth of herbivores in the arid heathlands where few plants manage to survive. Imagine a sheep with its wool getting too close to the puya; it would risk getting trapped until its death, and serve as food for the plant.