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How to Care for an Orange Star Plant

By: Dale Devries

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21 September, 2017

An orange star plant is a tropical bromeliad originating from Ecuador. These plants make excellent house plants with their numerous overlapping green leaves coming from a central trunk and then bursting with a bright orange flower. The orange star can add a tropical feel and color to any room in your home. Like any tropical plant, the orange star likes it warm and humid. This plant is easy to grow with minimal care.

Keep your orange star plant in bright indirect light or filtered light. If you are keeping the plant on a desk or in an area that does not have indirect light, keep under fluorescent lighting and check the soil for dryness more often.

An orange star plant is a tropical bromeliad originating from Ecuador.
If you are keeping the plant on a desk or in an area that does not have indirect light, keep under fluorescent lighting and check the soil for dryness more often.

Water to keep the soil evenly moist during the spring, summer and fall. Cut back the watering to allow the top of the soil to dry out in the winter. Leave a bottle of tap water out for 24 hours before using it to water the plant. This will allow harmful chemicals and lime to dissipate from the water.

Mist the plant with a spray bottle once a day during the summer and fall. Another way to add humidity to the plant is to set the container on a tray covered with pebbles and water. Do not allow the plant to sit in the water but above it on the pebbles.

Water to keep the soil evenly moist during the spring, summer and fall.
Cut back the watering to allow the top of the soil to dry out in the winter.

Fertilize your orange star with a water-soluble fertilizer once a month from May through October. Use a balanced 20-20-20 fertilizer.

Repot the plant every spring to encourage new growth. Give it a little extra water and hold back fertilizer until the plant has fully adjusted to the new pot and soil. You will know that it has adjusted by seeing new growth.

Care For An 'orange Star' Plant

"Orange Star" plant (Guzmania lingulata "Orange Star") earned its common name with its showy orange flower bracts, which have a bold, starry shape. Orange Star" plant needs little care once established in a warm, bright location. Regular care year-round will help enhance its appearance and keep it healthy. " In summer, water whenever the container's medium feels dry to the touch or the outdoor soil is dry. Watering once per week is usually sufficient. As with most bromeliads, an "Orange Star" plant needs little supplemental fertilizer to perform well. Use a balanced fertilizer with an N-P-K number of 20-20-20 or 7-7-7. If the "Orange Star" plant produces lanky, discolored leaves or other signs of overfeeding, stop feeding for the remainder of the growing season. If you only see a few, wipe the bugs off with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol. Mix 4 teaspoons of insecticidal soap concentrate with 1 quart of water in a spray bottle. Repeat the application every five days until the pests are gone. To keep rot from developing, grow "Orange Star" in soils that drain well. If temperatures are expected to drop to 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below, remove any standing water in the cups of "Orange Star" plants grown outdoors to prevent winter damage.

Fertilize your orange star with a water-soluble fertilizer once a month from May through October.
If temperatures are expected to drop to 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below, remove any standing water in the cups of "Orange Star" plants grown outdoors to prevent winter damage.