Puya chilensis

The Puya chilensis is undoubtedly the most well-known of this group of perennial succulent plants related to pineapples that grow in arid heathlands and matorrals of the Andes Mountains. Locally known as Chagual, this is a spectacular Chilean species that is fairly easy to acclimate to our sunny coastlines. The plant forms impressive spiky cushions composed of evergreen rosettes and produces spectacular inflorescences, with a sour yellow colour, reminiscent of medieval masses. In mild climates, it is a very beautiful rock garden or dry garden plant, without the need for watering. Elsewhere, it can easily be cultivated in a large pot to protect it from cold and dampness in winter.

The Puya chilensis (synonym P. coarctata) is a perennial plant from the bromeliad family. It is native to the Chilean coast, where it grows in large colonies on arid hills, rocky cliffs, and ravines, between 300 and 1000 meters (984 and 3281 feet) above sea level, under a Mediterranean-like climate. It can withstand temperatures as low as -6°C (21.2°F) in well-drained soil and tolerates the presence of limestone.

This puya has a rather slow growth rate, forming dense rosettes that can reach a height and spread of 2 meters (7 feet). Over time, the plant spreads to form large clumps composed of multiple rosettes. The leaves are long, tough, pointed, gutter-shaped, light green in colour, and bordered by formidable inward-curving spines. Mature rosettes, aged 6 to 7 years, bloom in late spring, in June. From their center emerges a flowering stem that can rise more than 5 meters (16 feet) above the ground. It bears a large, ramified inflorescence with an oval shape, in which numerous tubular flowers of yellow-green color with bright yellow stamens are tightly packed. These 5 cm (2in) diameter flowers are flared and well-suited to the beaks of native nectar-feeding birds that come to drink from them while ensuring their pollination. Flowering marks the death of the rosette, but the plant ensures its perpetuation by producing daughter rosettes near its stump.

The Puya chilensis requires planting in well-drained, sandy or rocky soil, almost dry in winter, and tolerates hot and dry summers well. In mild climates, this plant can be placed in a large rock garden or bed on gravel. To accompany it in an arid-style rock garden or on a contemporary terrace, consider, for example, Yuccas, Dasylirions, Phormiums, and Nolinas. This plant can be easily cultivated in a container, using a cactus-type substrate. 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 spiky vegetation allows it to defend itself against herbivores in arid heathlands where few plants manage to survive. Imagine a sheep with its fleece getting too close to the puya: it would risk getting trapped until its death and serve as food for the plant.