The urn plant naturally lives as an epiphyte on the branches of trees in its native Brazil. It roots into accumulated debris, needs little support, and gets all its moisture by catching rain in its rosette of leaves. The arching, spiny leaves are grayish green, with cross markings of powdery white, and can reach to 2 ft. (60 cm) in length.

Each rosette produces one flower spike as it natures. This carries pink bracts surrounding the tiny flowers, which are pale blue at first, but rapidly turn red. The flowers are short-lived, tut the 6 in. (15 cm) inflorescence can remain decorative for several months. After flowering, the rosette slowly dies, to be replaced by new offsets.

Size: Height to 3 ft. (90 cm).

Light: Direct sunlight.

Temperature: Normal room; minimum 60°F (15°C).

Moisture: Water to keep soil moist, but not we

Feeding: Fertilize every two weeks during spring and summer (into the central cup as well as the soil). Propagation Detach offsets once they are half the size of the parent plant.

Special needs: The central reservoir of water should never be allowed to dry out; it should also be emptied and refilled periodically to prevent the water becoming stagnant. Hard tap water will mark the leaves, so it may be preferable to use rainwater to fill the central cap.