Puya chilensis Molina

A small plant which forms a trunk with age. It grows 4.5 m high and spreads 2 m wide. The leaves are green and narrow and triangle shaped. There are strong teeth along the edge. They form a dense ring. The flower stem is 3.5 m high. It is erect and stout. The flower head is 100 cm long. There are up to 100 side branches each with up to 12 large yellow flowers. The upper part of the branches does not have flowers.

It is a subtropical to tropical plant. In Chile it grows from sea level to 2,000 m altitude. It grows in dry and arid areas. It grows in full sun. It suits hardiness zones 10 & 11. It cannot tolerate frost.

The young leaf sprouts are eaten in salads.

Plants can be grown from seeds or offsets.