The center part often does die, and new plants form at the base as pups. The center part could be a dying flower, and this is okay as long as pups form at the base.

Hi everyone.

Saturn - I'd just like to expand a little on the good advice Lars has already given. Your plant looks like either a Guzmania or Vriesea; both of these plants are commonly sold as an alternative to buying a bunch of flowers. They are kept in the house until the flowers die and then are usually "tossed out" and the owner buys a new plant. The reason being, they last for much longer than a bunch of flowers and are therefore a better financial proposition.

Just because the flower dies doesn't mean the plant is finished; the natural cycle of a bromeliad is that the plant will grow to maturity, it will flower, and then as the flower dies it will start to decline. It only flowers the once, and as it declines the old flower spike will die and it will produce new plants from around the base one or sometimes two at a time. These plants are called offsets or more commonly "pups".

As they grow the original Mother plant will gradually die and as it does, dead leaves can be trimmed off to keep it looking tidy. Eventually the pups will grow to maturity and fill the space once taken by the Mother plant and then they will also flower and the cycle starts all over again.

All the best, Nev.

splinter good info thank you so much. Now that the middle "spike" seemingly has died off can I cut that back to tidy it up or as others have said just leave it?

Saturn - Another little thing I forgot to mention; when trimming off dead leaves, if you only have to trim part of the leaf, don't cut it straight across. Try and make it a similar shape the the other leaf tips

and it will look so much better.

All the best, Nev