Grows well in full coastal sun to light shade in loose, well-draining soil. Can grow in denser shade but at the expense of flowering. It has proven hardy in cultivation to short duration temperatures down to at least 20 degrees F. Best not to plant near walkways as it has wickedly spiny foliage. This also makes it a difficult plant to weed around, but it makes a an excellent low barrier plant that is showy and even racoons and deer do not cross its path.

Aechmea distichantha occurs as a terrestrial, saxicolous (on rocks) or epiphytic plant in deciduous, semideciduous and evergreen forests in southern Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay and northern Argentina where it can be found from sea level up to nearly 8,000 feet in elevation. The name for the genus comes from the Greek word 'aichme' meaning "spearhead" or "a point" in reference to thorny tips on the sepals and bracts and the specific epithet from the Greek words 'distichos' meaning two-ranked and 'anthos' meaning flower in reference to the flowers being in two rows. 

The information about Aechmea distichantha that is displayed on this web page is based on research conducted in our nursery's horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We will also include observations made about this plant as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens that we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We also incorporate comments that we receive from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they share cultural information that aids others growing this plant.