Neoregelia gigas appears to be endemic to the Atlantic forest at Santa Teresa, Espirito Santo, where it is terrestrial or epiphytic, heliophilous, in the shrubby to treelike vegetation on hilltops known in the region as "Morros de Areia" because of the white sandy quartzite soils. Here, in this sunny habitat with welldrained soils and frequent fog, the ideal conditions support a rich community of Bromeliaceae, Orchidaceae, Araceae, and other species, with a high degree of endemism.
Although it has not yet been documented, this new species probably occurs in the Santa Lucia Biological Station that borders on the area where it was originally found, in Valsugana Velha. —SeeSiqueira & Leme 2007
