Hechtia texensis 'Big Red'

A new Cistus introduction. This burgundy-tinted-if-not-downright-burgundy clone was found in the Big Bend region of Texas on a lovely hillside of this endemic terrestrial bromeliad. Though it is said these bromeliads are not carnivorous, we suspect that, with their spiny leaves, they catch large herbivores, including humans, for long term ingestion. Not so dangerous as a plot plant in a well-drained, sunny site or, of course, as a container specimen. Each rosette to about 18” with flower spikes to 3 ft or more bearing clusters of coppery orange flowers in spring and sometimes throughout the summer. This might very well be the most frost hardy hectia, certainly to 10F, bottom of USDA zone 8, if dry, and possibly lower.