Queens Tears is one of the easier of the epiphytic bromeliads for home owners to grow and flower. The pink, chartreuse and royal blue flowers are surrounded by rose-pink bracts on long arching racemes. Like other bromeliads, the leaves form a water tight rosette which allows the species to survive periodic droughts. This species produces copious quantities of buds at the base of the cup that grow to about 18" in length and then produce another cup.

In the home landscape, provide as much light as possible and add water to the cup once a week. For best results, use rain-water to avoid the leaf scorch associated with fluorinated and/or chlorinated water. In the wild the cups host a biological microcosm of single celled organisms, algae and small amphibians. If mosquitos or fungus gnats take up residence treat with Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis, a bacterial disease of mosquito larvae, fungus gnat and blackfly larvae that is available in most nurseries or garden departments.