In Ecuador Raanaea fraseri is known as "pata de paloma", which means pigeon's foot. This bromeliad is native to the dry forests of Ecuador, southern Colombia and northern Peru, and can be found along streams and in forest remnants. It flowers naturally in the months of July and August, which are the driest and windiest months of the year, especially in the dry valleys. It remains in flower until the end of the year when seed production begins. Seed matures in the months of July and August of the following year. Propagation is by buds that develop at the base of the peduncle which allows them to form stems, sometimes up to 1 m long. But the main system of reproduction is by seed, which produces new plants and increases their numbers in habitat.

The forests where this bromeliad grows are being destroyed mainly by urbanization and agriculture. However, there are other economic activities that can be carried out in these forests without the need to destroy them and end the diversity of plant, insect and animal life they contain. With this in mind, the idea was born that a dry forest can be productive with a responsible cultivation of one of its native plants.

In 1990 Friedrich Neumann and his wife Marianita Wray (Fig. 1) began to look for the ideal plant to cultivate in the dry forest of Guayllabamba, a valley located 25 km from Quito, in the province of Pichincha, at an altitude of 2100 meters (Fig. 2). Among the most striking plants of this forest is Racinaea fraseri. It stands out for its long reddish inflorescence with lateral spikes and flowers facing upwards (Figs. 2 to 8) Another important characteristic of Racinaea fraseri is its durability. The inflorescence remains red without losing its beauty for 6 months which is the period from the start of anthesis to the formation of fruit.

In 1990 floriculture in Ecuador was booming. Many crops of roses, carnations and Gyypsophila were being grown in the most fertile valleys such as Cayambe, Checa and Pifo, which prompted Friedrich and Marianita to decide to start with the production of this bromeliad.

Racinaea fraseri was already being...