A cold-tender perennial plant with a rosette of glossy, strap-like leaves, this bromeliad is popular for its bright red bracts, or modified leaves, atop a thick stem. This bromeliad grows in a peat-based medium, not soil, that remains moist when grown indoors as a houseplant. Tolerant of low light, it is best when given warmth and bright indirect light near a window, but just out of the reach of any direct sun rays. After the plant flowers, the colorful bract "torch" lingers for weeks, but eventually the plant dies, leaving small replacement plants, or pups, at its base.
Some water always should  be pooling in the plant rosette, as this provides moisture to the plant as well as increases humidity. Add water that is room temperature, never cold water. Allow chlorinated tap water to rest in a container for one hour to permit the chlorine to dissipate into the air before placing in the bromeliad rosette.