Plant in full sun in a well-drained soil and give occasional to infrequent irrigation. It is hardy to at least around 25° F. Remove old foliage after flowering to keep neat. A stunning plant that can be grown in a large pot or in the ground, but be sure to use stout gloves when working with this plant as the teeth are rigid and sharp.

Hechtia rosea is native to the Mexican States of Hidalgo, Veracruz, Oaxaca and Chiapas. It is the most widespread of the Hechtia in southern Mexico, overlapping in range with several other species with hybridization occurring and itself being quite variable in form and leaf color. Hechtia is a genus in the subfamily Pitcairnioideae, of the Pineapple family, Bromeliaceae, which also includes Dyckia, Pitcairnia, and Puya. The genus was named to honor Julius Gottfried Conrad Hecht (1771-1837), a counselor to the King of Prussia and all but ones species (H. gayorum) are dioecious. The specific epithet is in reference to this plant's rose-colored flowers, which is unusual in the genus, but it could just as well be describing the foliage and for this reason a common name is Red Leaved Hechtia. Another common name is False Agave. Another red flowering Hechtia long called Hechtia macdougallii is now considered to be a synonym. Our plants are a female clone that we first got at the Lotusland Exceptional Plant Auction in September 2014 that came annotated as coming Bill Baker of California Gardens as the "UCLA Type". 

This information about Hechtia rosea displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.