Aechmea ‘Pepita’ / ‘Elegant Flame’ - Orange Bromeliad
Sprouts of BristolKnown for its vibrant, flaming orange flower spike, Aechmea ‘Pepita’—commonly marketed as ‘Elegant Flame’—is a striking bromeliad that adds a tropical flair to any home. With its rosette of spiky, green leaves and long-lasting inflorescence, this plant is a low-maintenance beauty perfect for both beginners and seasoned plant lovers.
Scientific Name
Aechmea ‘Pepita’ / ‘Elegant Flame’
Aechmea ‘Pepita’ belongs to the Bromeliaceae family, native to tropical regions of the Americas. The cultivar ‘Pepita’ is specifically bred for its bright orange bracts and compact growth habit. The marketing name ‘Elegant Flame’ highlights its dramatic appearance.
Common Name(s)
Orange Bromeliad, Elegant Flame Bromeliad
Origin
Hybrid cultivar derived from species native to Central and South America.
Light
Prefers bright, indirect light. It can tolerate lower light but may lose some vibrancy in its foliage and bracts. Avoid direct sunlight, which can scorch the leaves.
Water
Keep the central cup or “tank” (formed by the rosette) filled with water, but refresh it weekly to prevent stagnation. Water the soil sparingly, allowing it to dry out between waterings.
Humidity
Thrives in high humidity; mist regularly or place near a humidifier, especially during winter.
Soil
A well-draining potting mix designed for epiphytes is ideal. Orchid or bromeliad mix works well. Avoid heavy, moisture-retaining soils.
Food
Feed every 2–3 months during the growing season with a balanced, water-soluble fertiliser diluted to half strength. Apply directly to the central cup or soil.
Temperature
Prefers temperatures between 18–27°C. Avoid prolonged exposure to temperatures below 12°C.
Pet-safe
Non-toxic to cats and dogs, but the spiky leaves can cause mild irritation if touched or chewed.
Sprouts Top Tips
• If the flower bract starts to fade, don’t worry—this is normal after its bloom cycle. The plant may produce offsets (“pups”) at the base, which can be separated and potted when they reach about one-third the size of the parent plant.
• Keep the leaves free from dust by wiping gently with a damp cloth.
• Avoid tap water high in salts or fluoride; rainwater or distilled water is ideal for bromeliads.
Extras
Bromeliads are epiphytic in their natural environment, often growing on trees. However, they adapt well to potted life when provided with the right mix and care.
Did You Know?
The vibrant orange flower spike can last for several months, making Aechmea ‘Pepita’ a long-lasting statement piece. While the parent plant will eventually die after flowering, its pups will continue the legacy!
Important Information
If you have any questions, please check out the below or get in touch via our contact formWe're devoted to sending our customers quality plants with the best service around. Every plant is backed by our 7-day guarantee, so they arrive in good health.
Our team takes extra steps when prepping plants for transportation, but they're still sensitive to changes, so there may be minor cosmetic issues. We always aim to photograph and disclose any flaws before shipping, but a living creature travelling across the country in a box can take a hot minute to adjust to its new life.
If you have any issues within 7 days of receiving your order, holler at our customer support team on our contact form with your order details and some pics of the issue. After the guarantee has expired, though, we can't refund as we can't guarantee care and environmental factors. If you repot the plant during the 7 days, the guarantee is void.
We have been sending plants up and down the country for many year now and we like to think we have our way down to an art.
We protect the plant from falling out of the soil with tissue paper and tape if needed, then we wrap the plant in corrugated cardboard, and sometimes we protect the leaves with extra tissue paper if required. This is then placed into a box and if there is any empty space, we fill this with void fill to stop the plants moving around inside the box. Sometimes we will write a note on your packing slip to water the plant on arrival, so please look out for this. This is due a freshly watered plant going in a box will not only be soggy, but as the plant is in darkness this can sometimes make the plant unhappy when just freshly watered.
If your plant arrives to you unhappy, please send us a photo of the plant and packaging if relevant straight away, so we can advise you.
Online orders are packed and dispatched within a few days. Usually depending on volumes, we aim to get your order dispatched within 1 working day. We have collections from Royal Mail 6 days a week so deliveries tend to be speedy.
Our standard parcel delivery service is £4.99 for Royal Mail Tracked48, you can upgrade to Tracked24 for £2.50.
We do offer a Tracked48 Large Letter option for £2.99, and Tracked24 for £1 extra, but this only applies to products less than 2.5cm thick.
*Deliveries 7 days a week only included Tracked24 parcels.
Link to your shipping policy
We get a lot of boxes, packaging and whatnot at Sprouts from all our various supplier's deliveries. We re-use this packaging material where possible, plus we take in donations from local businesses and customers to our shop to avoid excess packaging going to landfill. Sometimes your delivery might look a little different, or come in a branded box from another company, but rest assured the items inside are carefully packed with love and attention inside. We use paper tape and all our branded materials included are fully recyclable. Sometimes we use polystyrene, bubble wrap or plastic wrap in the packaging, all these items are not new and where possible, please use them again.
We have partnered with Zedify to offer low-carbon deliveries in Central Bristol for £6.99.
Zedify collect and deliver orders from us Monday - Friday and will usually deliver your order the same day its collected. If you place your order before 11am, we will aim to get it collected the same day but this isnt always possible. When you have received your dispatch email, Zedify should be delivering your order the same day, anytime before 6pm.
We cannot give an idea of time, but if you would prefer delivery on a certain date (Monday - Friday) please get in touch or leave a note at check out with your preferred delivery date and we will do our best to accommodate your request.
Zedify deliver to the following postcodes BS1, BS2, BS3, BS4, BS5, BS6, BS7, BS8 (1, 2, 3A - 3N, 4), BS9 (1,3,4).
Select click and collect at checkout to collect your order from our Bristol shop.
You will get an email when your order is ready to collect, where possible please come and collect your order the same day as we have limited space. If you are going to collect your order at a later date, please let us know in the message box at check out so we know when to expect you. Some items such as gift sets, kits and pre-order items may not be ready to collect the same day, again please let us know what day you would like to collect and we will let you know if there's any issues.
We do not offer free returns, but if you are unhappy with your delivery, please get in touch. If your parcel or order has been damaged, please take photos and send these over to our team so we can look into this for you.
If you have ordered an item and you would like to exchange it, we should be able to do this for you. There may be an extra charge for delivery, but get in touch to discuss. For plants there is a 7 day return policy and 30 days for everything else, apart from sale items which are none returnable.
You can return or exchange in our Bristol shop for free.
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