Modern growers grow many interesting tropical plants that are surprisingly well able to settle down in our latitudes. One of these tropical beauties is Guzmania - a spectacular plant with elongated shiny leaves, which are collected in the rosette, with a spike-shaped inflorescence in the center. Today, there are many varieties of Hummania, so that every florist can choose the most interesting options for themselves.
Did you know? In the tropical forests of Central and South America, on the islands and the Caribbean coast, there are about 130 species of Guzmania, among which are terrestrial evergreens.Some flower species have successfully taken root in room conditions, and as a result of many years of selective work, variety forms have been developed with inflorescences of orange, red, pink, yellow, violet, purple-red and pure white flowers.
Guzmania Donnell-Smith
If you are going to grow this exotic plant in your home, you will probably want to know everything about the flower of a gusmania, but first of all you need to decide on the species grown. For example, Donella Smith's guzmania in its natural habitat lives in the tropical forests of the Costa Rican mountains and is a curious example of plants that have managed to take root in new places when their native habitat has been threatened. This species is simple enough to grow, and its bright bracts and sepals of a rich yellow color will delight your eyes for a month. 
Donella Smith's gusmania has a loose rosette formed by green leaves covered with pale colored scales. Tiled leaves of bright red color tightly cover the erect peduncle and the lower part of a short, dense pyramidal paniculate inflorescence. The length of the sheet plates is 60 cm with a width of 3 cm. Guzmania of this species begins to delight in its flowering in April - May.
Did you know? Donella Smith's guzmania was discovered relatively recently, and the seeds of the plant are spread by the International Society of Bromeliad Lovers. It should also be noted that cross-pollination is not necessary to obtain a large number of seeds, since plants of this species are capable of self-pollination.Donella Smith's guzmania seeds are supplemented with a tuft (reminiscent of dandelion), which contributes to their distribution in windy weather. With the help of wind, seed material spreads over fairly long distances.
Guzman blood red
As the name implies, blood-red guzmania is distinguished by the saturated color of its leaves, which form a goblet-like rosette, where moisture and individual organic particles are collected under natural conditions (used to nourish the plant). During flowering, the attention of a person is attracted not so much by corymbose inflorescences (consisting of 7-12 small flowers), as the leaves of the plant themselves. Peduncle is not developed, but the flowers are located on pedicels. Bracts are thin and exceed sepals, which are 1.7 cm long. The length of wide oval petals is 7.5 cm, and they grow together into a narrow tube, free above. 
As can be seen in the photo, all the leaves of the red guzman, except the extreme ones, become saturated-purple. Sheet plates, including 15-18 pieces, form a goblet-shaped socket with a size of up to 30 cm. They are wide-linear, solid-edged, with the top bent down.
There are several varieties of blood-red guzmania:
- var. Sanguinea ("bloody") - characterized by round-shaped bracts with a sharp end, the petals of yellow flowers with a green or completely white. The leaves in length reach 40 cm with a width of 5.5 cm. The bracts are rounded, flat with a sharp end. Flowering plants occur in April and August;
- var. Brevipedicellata ("short-legged") - distinguished by pointed helmet-shaped bracts. The length of the leaves reaches 20 cm with a width of 2.5 cm. The bracts are helmet-shaped, pointed, 2.2 cm long.
Important! The most suitable container for growing room guzman is a low ceramic pot with a diameter of 15 cm.
Mosaic Gusmania
This type of Guzman, like the previous ones, is an epiphytic plant. Its leaves reach 70 cm in length, and 7–8 cm in width. 15–20 leaves form a spreading rosette. They are lingual, rounded at the apex and sharply turning into whole and pointed. Peduncle has a straight shape and shorter than rosette leaves. The bright pink leaves on the peduncle are broadly elliptic, with a sharp ending, swollen. The inflorescence in the guzmania mosaic, which can easily be called a mix of different color shades, is quite simple, not hairy and consists of 12-15 flowers. Leathery, obovate bracts are characterized by a wide shape, bright pink color and a size shorter than sepals. Flowers - sessile, sepals - elongated and blunt. 
In the wild, this species is most often found in areas from Guatemala to Colombia and Northeast Brazil, where plants grow at an altitude of up to 1000 m above sea level. The blooming of the Guzman mosaic can be observed beginning in February and ending in July, although some species may also bloom in August (for example, var. Flammea, whose leaves reach 24-34 cm, 1-1.7 cm wide).
In general, the description of the mosaic Husmania is in many ways similar to the description of the blood-red plant species, only the lower surface of the leaves in this case has a pale pink shade.
Among the most common varieties of mosaic Guzmania are var. musaica (on the light green background of the leaf are directional thin lines), var. zebrina (with wide stripes) and var. concolor - with monochrome leaves.
Guzman one-wheeled
Guzman one-striked differs numerous yellow-green leaves, which form a thick rosette. Bottom, they are paler and have indistinct fine-dotted scales, which quickly fall off. The inflorescence is represented by an elongated multi-row spike pointed at the top. The flowers are white. The naked peduncle is somewhat shorter than the leaves and has pointed, imbricated leaves: the lower ones are of a pale green color, and the upper ones are with red strokes. Bracts of fertile flowers are pale, light green in color, with distinguished brown longitudinal strokes. At the same time, sterile specimens can boast of bright red, rarely white bracts. In the role of the fetus is a cylindrical box with a white tuft. Among the most famous varieties of single-faced guzmania are:
- var. monostachia - has one-color leaves and pale bracts with dark brown longitudinal stripes. Flowering occurs in June or July;
- var. variegata - different green leaves with white stripes;
- var. alba - has monochrome leaves with green lower and white upper bracts.
Important! When watering guzmaniya you need to pour water directly into a leaf outlet, which is the best option for watering this plant.
Guzmania Nicaragua
Another epiphytic plant. In this species, the leaves reach 6 cm in length and 2.5 cm in width, and collected 10-5 pieces, they form a dense goblet outlet with inflorescence placed in it. The leaves have a lingual shape, narrowed upwards and covered with small pale-colored pressed scales from below (with time they become bare, but with noticeable small longitudinal red stripes).
On the peduncle there is no pubescence, but there are erect leaves pressed against it: the lower ones are narrowly linear, the upper ones are broadly elliptical, with a pointed point at the end. May be bright red or red-brown. The inflorescence is few-flowered, simple and in outline is a bare spindle-shaped, reaching a length of 7-10 cm. The shape of the bracts is similar to the shape of the upper leaves of the peduncle. They are thin-film, wide-pointed or blunt, not having a sharp end, reaching a length of 5 cm. The flowers are erect, placed on short legs. Sepals have an elliptical shape, wide-blunt, fused at the bottom and 2.5 cm long. The fused yellow petals are represented by a narrow cylindrical tube, and the stamens slightly protrude above the corolla. 
Most often, the Nicaraguan Guzman can be found in Central America or in Mexico at an altitude of 635-1800 meters above sea level. It prefers forests where its flowering can be observed in March - May.
Guzmania Tempo
Tempo's guzmania is in general similar to the previous species: it has golden-green long leaves (form a spreading rosette) and bright bracts. However, in terms of care, there are still some differences. For example, while most plant species prefer moderate watering, this flower loves moisture.
Did you know? Guzmania was first described in 1802 and received its name in honor of the Spanish botanist A. Gusman.
Guzmania Zana (Zana)
When blooming guzmaniya, the house appears a lot of the brightest shades that attract the eye. The Zuzan (Zahn) guzmania, which has oblong-pointed leaves up to 70 cm long and 2.5 to 3 cm wide, is quite spectacular in appearance. In most cases, they are colored greenish-red, but they are found to have a greenish-yellowish color with red. oblong veins. Stem leaves are colored red. The length of the inflorescence is 18-25 cm. Flowers and bracts are distinguished by a golden-yellow color. A known variation of Zahn's guzmania is “variegated” - a plant that has long white strips on its leaves. Homeland plants - Colombia. 
Guzman reed
You have probably already understood what kind of a guzmania flower is, and noted for yourself the unusualness of its species. However, it is also worth recalling the gazmania reed - a short-stemmed epiphytic plant with a poorly developed root system. Most often this species has monotonous green leaves, although there are varieties with striped leaf plates. Guzman reed has a dense rosette formed by numerous green broad-line leaves, complemented by small scales. Leaf rosette is so dense that it acquires a cup shape where moisture is collected. As needed, the collected water is used to power the plant.
On a thick short peduncle orange or red upper leaves (stipules) are placed, which are a kind of wrapper around a multi-flowered inflorescence. Flowers are located on short thick legs and consist of white helmet-shaped petals. The flowers of this species of gusmania bloom very slowly, but they hold on for quite a long time, decorating the plant for 15-17 weeks. Fading off the mother plant dies, but during this time shoots (“kids”) will appear, that is, new, young Guzmania. 
In the description of Guzmania, it is often noted that she has inconspicuous flowers, and the plant stands out only with bright red bracts. This is partly true, but it is impossible to fully agree with this statement, because a fully-opened bract has an attractive red color with yellow flowers of a very unusual shape. Today, several varieties of reed guzmania are known:
- var. lingulata is a fairly large plant with monochromatic leaves, 2.5 cm wide. The inflorescence of such gusmania is formed by pink or red erect leaves, with helmet-shaped bracts and numerous flowers. Flowering plants occur in March, August and December;
- var. сrdinalis - has wide leaves (3-4 cm), sprawling piniflora leaves of bright red color. Inflorescence - many-flowered, bracts - helmets. Plant blooms in March and September;
- var. minor is a relatively compact type of reed gusmania. The width of monochrome leaves is no more than 2.5 cm. Prisotsvetnye leaves - upright, red, with numerous flowers in inflorescences. Flowering var. minor falls in February - July;
- var. flammea - leaves reach a length of 24-34 cm with a width of 1-1.7 cm. The inflorescence is few-flowered, with slightly helmet-shaped bracts. Flowering plant in July, August.
