Puya raimondii belongs to the Bromeliaceae and is the largest species in the family, occurring naturally at an altitude of approx. 3-4000m. in Peru and Bolivia and can live there for some 50-70 years. They flower only once and after flowering the whole plant dies off , before having produced and spread abundant seed. In cultivation, they require a nutritious, clay-mixed potting soil and a lightly sun-drenched, frost-free site, and are best grown in the garden in summer, from early May to mid-October.