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Aechmea fasciata is a species of flowering plant in the Bromeliaceae family. It is commonly called the silver vase or urn plant and is native to Brazil. This plant is probably the best known species in this genus, and it is often grown as a houseplant in temperate areas.
The plant grows slowly, reaching 30–90 cm (12–35 in) in height, with a spread of up to 60 cm (24 in). It has elliptic–oval-shaped leaves 45–90 cm (18–35 in) long and arranged in a basal rosette pattern. The robust leaves have armored edges (like all members of the Bromelioideae). The leaf sheath is 9–10 cm (4–4 in) wide. The 6 cm (2 in) wide leaf blade is rounded at the end, but with a 4 mm long spine tip. Large amounts of water often collect in the leaf funnels.
In their natural habitat, many of the funnels contain small biotopes with several animal species, as well as algae and aquatic plants. The leaves have whitish sucking scales (trichomes) on the upper and lower surfaces. These are distributed differently depending on the variety: they can cover the entire surface, or there are transverse bands with or without scales, which results in an interesting leaf pattern. There are also varieties with yellowish longitudinal lines (variegation).
