Now Blooming: Puyas
Puya are drought-resistant, mainly South American terrestrial bromeliads (Bromeliaceae) that love arid sun. The Huntington has the best collection of these enigmatic plants anywhere in the country. So, unless you’re trekking through the Andes in Chile, Bolivia, Peru, or Ecuador, you won’t have a chance to see rare and arresting bromeliads—such as Puya alpestris and Puya chilensis—shoot spectacular, long-arching inflorescence blooms of blue-green, chartreuse, violet, red, and yellow three to five feet into the sky during their annual springtime bloom.
Two rare bromeliads from Chile grow in the garden: Puya alpestris and P. chilensis. In spring, they burst into bloom with stunning flowers, the former blue-green and the latter chartreuse. | The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens
Puya venusta. | The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.
Puya coerulea var. violacea. Photo by Deborah Miller. | The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Garden
Puya alpestris. Photo by Deborah Miller. | The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Garden
A 2018 tour of Puya in the Desert Garden with The Huntington's curator of the desert collections, John Trager, turned this writer from a Puya Ignoramus to a Puya Enthusiast.
One of the largest outdoor collections of cacti and succulents in the world, the Desert Garden includes more than 5,000 species of desert plants in sixty landscaped beds.
Peak color is subject to change based on weather patterns, rainfall, high winds, and other factors. Stay up to date with bloom reports on our social media channels. TikTok | Facebook | Instagram
Explore an interactive map of what's blooming at The Huntington