Native Plants
Plant Database
Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.
Hechtia glomerata
Hechtia glomerata Zucc.
Guapilla
Bromeliaceae (Bromeliad Family)
Synonym(s):
USDA Symbol: hegl7
USDA Native Status: L48 (N)
Plant to 24 in. tall; leaves in a dense spreading rosette, linear-lanceolate, the margins with approximate spines, densely covered with whitish or pale-brown scales on the lower surface; scape erect or ascending, slender, supporting a laxly compound inflorescence. Found in gravel and on sandstone formations in Starr and Zapata counties.
Guapilla is a xeric terrestrial bromeliad in the same family as pineapple. The rosette is evergreen, and has an interesting, spiraling form that makes it a great sculptural accent plant. This plant is hardy to about 18 degrees Fahrenheit.
Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Cactus/Succulent
Leaf Retention: Evergreen
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Breeding System: Flowers Unisexual , Dioecious
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Up to about 2 feet tall when not flowering. Up to about 9 feet tall when flowering.
Fruit: Brown
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: WhiteBloom Time: May , Jun , Jul , Aug
Distribution
USA: TXNative Habitat: Prairie, Plains, Meadows, Pastures, Savannas
Growing Conditions
Water Use: LowLight Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Dry
Soil Description: Gravelly, Sandy, Sandy Loam, Medium Loam, Clay Loam, Clay, Saline tolerant
Benefit
Use Wildlife: Nectar-insects, Seeds-granivorous birds, Seeds-Small mammals, CoverConspicuous Flowers: yes
From the National Organizations Directory
According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:Texas Parks and Wildlife Department - Austin, TX
Wildflower Center Seed Bank
LBJWC-1049 Collected 2007-06-14 in Starr County by Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower CenterBibliography
Bibref 291 - Texas Wildscapes: Gardening for Wildlife (1999) Damude, N. & K.C. BenderSearch More Titles in Bibliography
Web Reference
Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter
Additional resources
USDA: Find Hechtia glomerata in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Hechtia glomerata in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Hechtia glomerata
Metadata
Record Modified: 2023-02-13Research By: TWC Staff