The World’s Largest Bromeliad, the ‘Queen of the Andes,’ Blooms Just Once Every Century

Extremely rare and endangered, this ancient marvel known as the “Queen of the Andes” is the largest bromeliad in the world.

Photo: Waldemar Niclevicz

Among the 3,000 species of bromeliads out there, this one is definitely the king! At over 30 feet tall, Puya raimondii is the world’s largest Bromeliad, sporting one of the largest flower stalks of any plant on earth! As the photos prove, its massive stalk can get over 25 feet tall and contain thousands of flowers.

The magnificent plant is native to the barren highlands of the Andes in Bolivia and Peru, growing between 3200 and 4800 m.

The remarkable flower spike only appears after 80 or more years of vegetative growth. This means that one such plant will bloom only once in a century!