This Dyckia platyphylla hybrid - the "Cherry Cola" Bromeliad - is a terrific, rare plant from Brazil with tasty-colored leaves!  When grown in full sun, the leaves take on a striking burgundy or wine-red color that definitely looks like cherry cola!  As if the leaves weren't enough, the plants makes stunning, bright orange flower stalks over 4 feet tall.  This is a soil-dwelling Bromeliad that is easy to grow, and can handle temperatures down to the low-20s.  It's a handsome, low-maintenance plant that multiplies readily into a big stand!

The plant forms a rosette of leaves about 2 feet across.  The leaves are lined with white spines, which contrast nicely with the dark foliage.  The spines are sharp, so move carefully around the plant.  The leaves take on their reddish color to protect themselves from the sun's strong rays.  Over the years, lots of offsets form around the mother plant in an outward-facing formation.  In the summertime, they send up very tall flower stalks that are loved by hummingbirds and bees.. and of course us gardeners.

This Dyckia can be grown much like cacti and succulents, in well-draining cactus soil.  Give the plants a fairly large pot that is at least as wide as the plants.  Bright sun and low fertilizer brings out the brightest leaf colors, but i recommend giving the plants adequate water and fertilizer the first couple of years, so they grow quickly to a nice size.  They are quite tolerant of rainy weather, provided that they're in fast-draining soil.  Mature plants are said to survive down to the low-20s, but younger ones may need some frost protection.

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Photo #2 by Stan Shebs