All collections of this new species are known (or suspected) to be from the mountain forests above the town of Lita. Guzmania kareniae has been collected by horticultural explorers many times in the past two decades and has been used in several showy hybrids grown in Europe and the United States. Material introduced into cultivation is nearly always identified as Guzmania squarrosa `Pink' or "Pink Squarrosa". The clear green foliage and crisp pink coloration of the large primary bracts make this and its hybrids a spectacular ornamental. —SeeJ. Bromeliad Soc.
