Guzmania Musaica Indoor Care Guide

Guzmania musaica is a species of flowering plant in the Bromeliaceae family. It is native to Central America and northern South America. The plant is an evergreen perennial with a rosette of leaves at the base and produces an upright spike of flowers. The flowers are bracts (modified leaves) that come in different colors, including red, orange, yellow, and white.

Guzmania Musaica Main Characteristics

Common Name	Mosaic Vase, Guzmania
Botanical Name	Guzmania musaica
Synonyms	Tillandsia musaica, Billbergia musaica, Caraguata musaica, Massangea musaica, Tillandsia mosaic, Guzmania musaica var. concolor, Guzmania musaica var. discolor, Guzmania musaica var. rosea, Guzmania musaica var. zebrina
Family	Bromeliaceae
Genus	Guzmania
Type	Epiphyte
Native Range	Costa Rica to NW. Venezuela and NW. Ecuador
USDA Hardiness Zones	9 to 11
Mature Size	Height: 0.2 to 0.5 feet, Spread: 0.2 to 0.4 feet
Bloom Time	Summer
Foliage	Leathery Evergreen
Propagation methods	by offsets
Sun	Full Sun to Partial Shade
Soil	Moist, Well-drained
Toxicity	Non-Toxic

Guzmania Musaica Indoor Care

It typically grows as an epiphyte in the wild, though it can be used as a ground cover or potted plant. As a flowering plant, it can produce bracts that are actually more colorful than flowers. The burst of color provided by these bracts is the main reason why these plants are grown at all.

Light and Location

This plant thrives in indirect sunlight and does not require direct sunlight to grow. But giving it a few hours in the morning sun wouldn’t go amiss either. Put it up on a windowsill that gets some sunlight, and you’ll be good to go. Alternatively, these plants are popular in office settings; fluorescent light is more than enough to ensure proper growth.

Watering

The most crucial aspect for the growth of this plant is keeping it moist with regular watering. Ensure the potting soil remains moist throughout, and adjust your watering frequency accordingly. During the summer months, increase its water intake by an extra watering per week to once every three days for this plant to stay moist. Ensure proper drainage and don’t let the soil get soggy. Throughout the year, fill the cup in the center of the plant with distilled water and replace it frequently. 

Temperature

If the temperature in the area where you are growing the plant stays below 60 degrees Fahrenheit for more than a day, it may cause harm to guzmania musaica. Optimal temperatures are between 60 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, just like most other bromeliads. 

Humidity

Guzmania musaica thrives in moderate to high humidity environments. This makes the use of a humidifier or misting your plant in areas with lower levels of humidity sensible. Make sure that you never let your Guzmania musaica dry out, but also keep in mind to not over-water it either. If you’re unable to find a spot with enough humidity, consider using a terrarium.

Fertilizer

Although not necessary, feeding can sometimes be quite a game-changer. Fertilize the plant with an orchid fertilizer during the growing season every 3-4 weeks. It will grow just fine without a feed, but it will just take longer. 

Propagating Guzmania Musaica

When propagating Guzmania musaica, the tried and true method is to use offshoots from the base. These offshoots grow in between the leaves and can reach half the height of the parent plant. In the natural lifecycle of the Guzmania, the offshoots replace the parent plant after it has flowered. 
But you don’t have to wait for the first plant to die out before propagating via offshoots. To propagate the plant:

1. Take an offshoot and remove the leaves until you are left with just the stem.
2. Dip the stem into rooting hormone powder and place it in moist soil.
3. Ensure the soil remains moist until the plant begins to grow new leaves.

Potting and Repotting Guzmania

When potting or repotting a guzmania musaica, it is essential to use bromeliads or orchid potting soil. This will help keep the high humidity levels that the plant needs to thrive. Pick any type of pot, a porous clay pot can be an excellent choice as they drain quickly, and this plant desperately needs good drainage. If you’re going with a regular pot, drill holes in the bottom or the sides.

This perennial grows best when it is repotted every two years into a pot about 1 inch wider than the previous pot. Choose a pot of the appropriate size and fill it with suitable potting soil. Make sure to leave some room for the roots to move about, i.e., don’t fill up the whole pot. Remove the plant from its original pot and move it to the new location. Very, very gently. Wait for the plant to take root.

Guzmania Musaica Care: How To Keep Your Plant thriving? (Video)