Heart of Flame, Dore
Bromelia balansae
Family: Bromeliaceae
What it is like
A pineapple like plant. It grows 1 m tall. Plants can spread by underground runners. The leaves are spiny and 0.5-1.5 m long. They are blue-grey. They are coarse and fibrous. The young central leaves turn red-violet during flowers. The flowers are violet and 2 cm across. The flower spike is 20 cm long. The fruit is composed of many fruitlets. They are not as closely fused as pineapple. The flesh is yellow and juicy.
There are 51 Bromelia species. They grow in tropical America.
Where it is found
A tropical plant. It can be grown in tropical and subtropical places. They are best in a protected site. In Colombia it is recorded in woodland between 60-1,000 m above sea level.
Countries/locations it is found in
Argentina (country/location of origin), Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay, South America
How it is used for food
It is mostly used for juice. Plants vary in the sweetness of the fruit. The leaves are placed directly in the fire then the base of the leaves is eaten.
Edible parts
Fruit, leaf base
How it is grown
Plants can be grown by removal of suckers. It can also be grown by seed. Cleaned seed germinate in a few days.
Its other names
Local names
Caraguata, Gravata, Macambira