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| Category: Succulent |
| Family: Bromeliaceae (Bromeliads) |
| Origin: Mexico (North America) |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Flower Color: White |
| Bloomtime: Summer |
| Parentage: (H. argentea x H. marnier-lapostollei) |
| Height: <1 foot |
| Width: <1 foot |
| Exposure: Full Sun |
| Summer Dry: Yes |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 20-25° F |
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Hechtia 'Silver Star' - A small terrestrial bromeliad with silvery leaves. Plant in full sun in a well-drained soil and irrigate infrequently. Should prove hardy to the mid 20s. These are selected seedlings from a cross made by Randy Baldwin and Jeff Chemnick between Hechtia argentea x H. marnier-lapostollei in 2014. Hechtia is a terrestrial bromeliad in the Pitcairniodeae subfamily of the Bromeliaceae with such other genera as Deuterocohnia, Pitcairnia and Puya and is notable as being the one dioecious genus, with male and female flowers borne on separate plants. This cross used a beautiful Hechtia argentea that came from Bill Baker as the seed bearing female plant. Hechtia argentea is a rare bromeliad that comes from dry cliffs and canyons in the Mexican State of Querétaro and has a beautifully symmetrical and full rosette of slightly reflexed silver leaves (actually green but covered in silver scales) with faint red mottling and an erect inflorescence with clusters of small white flowers. The specific epithet means "silver" in Latin. The pollen parent, Hechtia marnier-lapostollei comes from further to the south in the Yautepec region of Oaxaca, near the towns of San Carlos Yautepec and San Juan Lajarcia where it grows at about 3,000 feet in elevation. It too is a fairly rare bromeliad with a more open rosette of shorter and thicker leaves that are green but covered in scurfy white hairs. It was first introduced through the International Succulent Introductions (ISI) program in 1961 as ISI 217 Hechtia species but later identified by the specific epithet that honored Julien Marnier-Lapostolle (whose family was famous for Grand Marnier liqueur). Marnier-Lapostolle was avid botanist in France first received this plant from Fritz Schwarz of San Luis Potosi, Mexico and later sent the seeds of it to the UC Berkeley Botanic Garden. It was later named for him by the American botanist Lyman Smith. Both parents are hardy to drought and some cold and it should prove to be a nice plant for a dry sunny spot with good drainage in the garden or in a large broad shallow container. Use care when handling any Hechtia as the plants have sharp teeth and the silver scales can easily be rubbed off which mars the plant's appearance. Avoid overhead irrigation which can also remove these scales.
The information about Hechtia 'Silver Star' displayed on this page is based on research conducted in our nursery library and from online sources we consider reliable. We will also relate those observations made of this plant as it grows in our nursery gardens and in other gardens that we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments we receive from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has additional information, particularly when they share cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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