First, you must understand my most fundamental need: intense, direct sunlight. I am a child of the tropics, and my very existence depends on it. If I am languishing, the primary suspect is almost always insufficient light. My vibrant bracts will fade, and my growth will become weak and spindly as I desperately stretch toward any available light source. To revive me, you must place me where I can bask in a minimum of six hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight each day. A south-facing exposure is ideal. Without this energy, all other efforts will be in vain.
My relationship with water is complex. My roots are sensitive and despise being cold and soggy. More of my kind are killed by overzealous watering than by drought. Constantly wet soil suffocates my roots, preventing them from breathing and leading to root rot—a silent killer. The first sign is often yellowing leaves that drop. Conversely, if I am left bone dry for too long, I will go into survival mode, shedding all my leaves and bracts to conserve water. The key is to let my soil dry out almost completely between waterings. When you do water, do so deeply until it runs from the drainage holes, then leave me be.
The medium I am growing in is my entire world. It must be well-draining. A heavy, clay-based soil is a death sentence for me, trapping water around my roots. If I am stressed, consider repotting me into a mix specifically formulated for cacti and succulents, or create your own with plenty of perlite, pumice, or coarse sand to ensure excellent drainage and aeration. Regarding food, I am a heavy feeder during my active growing season, but I require a specific diet. A high-phosphorus fertilizer will encourage brilliant bract formation. However, if I am already stressed, hold off on fertilizing. Feeding a struggling plant is like forcing a sick person to eat a large meal; it adds more stress than benefit. Address my core issues first.
I thrive in warmth and abhor the cold. Temperatures below 40°F (4°C) are very dangerous for me, causing leaf drop and potentially killing my branches back. If I am outdoors in a chilly climate, I need to be brought inside to a bright, sunny spot before the first frost. Furthermore, if I have been in the same pot for many years, I may be severely root-bound. My roots become a tangled, dense mass that can no longer absorb water or nutrients effectively, and the soil depletes. If you gently remove me from my pot and see more root than soil, it is time to carefully prune the roots and repot me into a slightly larger home with fresh, well-draining soil.
