Amazonian Zebra Plant
Sources last read 14 September 2026.
Not yet rated How forgiving it is has not been judged here yet.
Also called Queen of the Aechmeas and Queen of the Bromeliads.
Toxicity is partly unassessed
- Not assessed for cats. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Not assessed for dogs. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Not assessed for people. RHS publishes no harm statement for this plant. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
What the sources say about its care
- Light
- Full sun, Partial shadeRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Water
- Moist but well-drainedRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Humidity
No source read publishes a humidity figure for any plant on this site. What follows is general guidance for foliage plants.
ASHRAE recommends indoor relative humidity between 30% and 60% 30–60%Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026- Temperature
How cold this tolerates, not what it prefers. No source read for this site publishes a preferred range for a plant indoors.
H1B — 10–15°C 10–15 °CRHS · read 13 September 2026- Soil
- Loam, Sand; pH Acid or Alkaline or NeutralRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to cats
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to dogs
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Harmful to people
- No statement of harm to people is published for this plant; that absence is not evidence it is safe.RHS · read 13 September 2026
Routine care
- Watering
- Unusually, this species can hold water in a "central cup", also called a "central tank". Water enters through the middle of the rosette and is stored, helping the plant survive dry spells. The cup only needs to be full of water in bright light and high temperatures.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026In the growing season, water generously and feed monthly with a low nitrogen fertiliser. Keep the central "cup" topped up with soft water.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Feeding
- Through the growing season, water generously and give a low-nitrogen fertiliser each month.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Propagation
- In early summer, root offsets.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pruning
- Pruning is not needed.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pests and diseases
- Can be troubled by mealybugs and scale insects.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Mealybugs and scale insects can attack it. Disease is uncommon.RHS · read 13 September 2026
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Photographs
About the plant
Aechmea chantinii, commonly known as Amazonian zebra plant, is a species bromeliad often used as an ornamental plant. It is native to the Amazon rainforest in Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · read 13 September 2026
- Native range
- S. Trop. AmericaWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026South Tropical AmericaNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Colombia, Peru, Amazonian Venezuela and BrazilRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Climate
- wet tropicalWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- Growth form
- epiphyteWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026Epiphyte, Herbaceous Perennial; habit vaseNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Tufted (evergreen)RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Size
- Height 12–36 in; width 24–36 inNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Height 0.5-1 metres; spread 0.5-1 metres after 5–10 yearsRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Flowering
- Flowers gold/yellow, red/burgundy; blooms in summerNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
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Sources
- ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Wikipedia · read 13 September 2026
What this does not cover
The figures above are what published sources say, not measurements of the plant in your room. They say nothing about your pot size, your water, the season, or how far from the glass the plant stands, and those decide more than any figure here does.
Humidity has no species figure because no source read for this site publishes one, and the only temperature published for this plant is a cold floor. The simulator fills those gaps with general figures for its kind of plant, marked as general and listed on how we read sources. Where a toxicity row says the plant was not assessed, that is the absence of a finding and not a finding of safety.
If something is already wrong, the diagnosis tool asks about the soil, the window and the watering, which is where the answer usually is.