Puya alpestris - Sapphire Tower
Puya alpestris is a beautiful plant for the cactus garden or for the gray garden. The prickly arching leaves are a show in themselves. For several years the clump will gradually enlarge until it is about 2 feet tall. Usually by this time Puya alpestris has several pups started around the base. In the Spring Puya alpestris produces this Sapphire Tower of blooms. This is a most extraordinary color with the deepest sapphire blue with a green overtone. The Sapphire Tower rises up to 4 feet above the foliage and produces huge numbers of these exotic blossoms. Puya alpestris is a great plant for attracting hummingbirds. Puya alpestris is hardy into the low 20°s F. They can readily be propagated from seed. Though it takes a long time to produce a plant substantial enough to be put out into the garden. I have had trouble in gardens with rabbits. The rabbits will shear off all of the Puya alpestris leaves as they are produced.
Blue flowers of Puya alpestris - Sapphire Tower. High resolution photos are part of our garden image collection.
Dark purple flowers of Puya alpestris - Sapphire Tower. High resolution photos are part of our garden image collection.
A mature Puya alpestris - Sapphire Tower with many spikes of flowers. High resolution photos are part of our garden image collection.
Drought tolerant terrestrial Bromeliads featured on this site:
Deuterocohnia brevifolia
Dyckia fosteriana
Puya alpestris
Puya venusta