Question

Plant   My aunt recently bought me a strange plant from a shop near her home in NYC. She has no idea exactly what it is.
It's got very large, green leaves at the base, right against the soil, and a red/green, thick stem, leading up to some kind of flattened, closed-up looking red plant.
Hope you can help.
Merci beacoup!

Answer
It is a popular type of Bromeliad (pineapples and spanish moss are in this family) called Tillandsia.  This type can survive cooler temps then most other Bromeliads.  It is an epiphyte, which means it gets its sustenance from the air, rather than from the soil.  These plants bloom once, and in blooming, die, but make side shoots or "pups" which become new plants.
Hope this helps.

Thanks,
Susan Tabor