Dyckia platyphylla - 2ga

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Dyckia platyphylla, commonly called wide-leafed dyckia, is an evergreen terrestrial bromeliad native to Brazil grown for its compact rosettes of glossy foliage and finely toothed leaf margins. It forms slowly expanding clumps of stiff, symmetrical rosettes typically about 8 inches to 1 foot tall and up to roughly 1 foot across, with mature clumps spreading 1 to 2 feet wide over time. Leaves are short, broad, and deep green with a glossy surface, often developing bronze to purplish tones in strong sun, while the undersides are covered with silvery scales that add subtle contrast. Margins are lined with small whitish teeth that give the plant a delicate serrated outline despite its rigid structure. Flowering is irregular in cultivation but may occur from spring into summer, when a tall stalk rises 2 to 3 feet above the foliage bearing clusters of orange to yellow-orange flowers. The species was described in 1970 by bromeliad taxonomist Lyman B. Smith from Brazilian material collected by Mulford Bateman Foster, though some authors have suggested it may represent a hybrid rather than a naturally occurring species. In gardens it performs best in full sun to light shade with excellent drainage and low irrigation once established, tolerating drought well while responding to occasional watering during active growth. Dyckia platyphylla has proven relatively cold tolerant for a bromeliad, reportedly surviving temperatures in the low 20s °F when dry, and is used as a textural accent in dry gardens, rock plantings, and containers where its architectural rosettes can be appreciated.