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.

Enter a Plant Name:
Or you can choose a plant family:

Watson, Sean

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.

From the Image Gallery

4 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: 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: White
Bloom Time: May , Jun , Jul , Aug

Distribution

USA: TX
Native Habitat: Prairie, Plains, Meadows, Pastures, Savannas

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light 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, Cover
Conspicuous 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 Center

1 collection(s) available in the Wildflower Center Seed Bank

Bibliography

Bibref 291 - Texas Wildscapes: Gardening for Wildlife (1999) Damude, N. & K.C. Bender

Search 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 Plants
FNA: Find Hechtia glomerata in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Hechtia glomerata

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-02-13
Research By: TWC Staff

Go back