Calling Bromeliad Lovers ....

Here's some of my bromeliads I've collected over the past year or so.
I hope any other collectors will post their pics and share info here , too.



Enjoy,
MsC

Beautiful! I have a few, what is the trick to get them to bloom?

JUSTMELISA,
Place the plant with the pot inside a transparent
plastic bag and a apple core in the center of the plant,
close the bag and leave it there for 7 to 10 days,
and remave it.
it will flower in between 1 and three months

Wow what a collection! Nice plants!

Thanks all...glad you enjoyed the pic.
I think bromeliads are one of the plants you just have to have for a Tropical garden. I really enjoy mine and they are easy care free plants for the most part. Bromeliads multiple easily, take very little care and offer that punch of color that says tropical.

Here's another pic that is very eye catching.

Today I received a cataloge of Bromeliad, very beautiful plant. MsC....You have very healthy and attractive plants.
Kaleem

Gorgeous display!!!

Oh, my! What a beautiful display! Kudos to you!

Very lovely to the eye .

Very beautiful MsC, but I see a couple of pretty begonias in there ..... ha! interlopers!

I also have a few, you buy them in bloom up here, and mine have never bloomed again. I'll try the apple solution; their blooms can be so spectacular. Does it matter what time of year? Thanks.

Hiya ceedub,
Ah Yes ..begonias are another one of my addictions...I have many "plant addictions" in my older age...lol

Bromeliads will typically only bloom once, then they put up another baby plant either as they are blooming or just after the bloom cycle completes. They may wait for warmer temps (80's and up), more humidity and need more sunlight to do this.

If there is any green left on the plant at all, leave it until it does put up a few baby plants when they are about 3-4 inches tall , then you can cut the mother plant off or remove the baby plants & pot them up.

Show us some of your pics, too please.

MsC

They are really so easy to grow and they are well worth the initial investment.
Here's some of the most popular types you find at your local garden store.

Billbergias -seem to put off the most babies-but the flower last only a short time .
Achemeas -put of one or two babies maybe more and the flower spikes last for months.
Neoregelias-put off one or two babies but the color and flowers last for several months with good care.

Yes, they've all put up new plants; I think sun is the problem. For some reason I thought they were a jungle plant, and needed filtered light. I'll move them. Is a south exposure too much sun?

I have an Achemea - silver vase, quite big - a "two-headed" division from a friend last year, and I just bought another baby a couple of weeks ago.

Also have 3 I don't know their names. I'll take some pictures this week - well, of the nice ones ... lol.

Thanks MsC

Christine

Southern exposure is probable fine...they are a "jungle plant' but many grow up high in the bare tree branches and can get a lot of sun.

I let my bromeliads have morning sun and then some afternoon sun slightly filtered but a small leaf tree, if that helps you find a similar spot.
The only ones I keep more shaded are the veriseas and some of the guzmania's..those are the ones that for the most part in general-have a feather type flower or more up right conical shape flower .

Please don't fret about the shape your's are in...send me a pic in PM if you want to try to id them or you can go to the best site in the world for site seeing bromeliads at the International Bromeliads Society site:
http://fcbs.org/pictures.htm

They have a wonderful photo index of pictures and some very interesting information too.

Great info MsC, thanks so much! I have them near a south window now, sor its just a matter of re-arranging stuff. I'm at work right now, so I'll take the pictures as soon as I can and post them, unless I can find them first in that great site.

Christine.

I have several but I don`t have a name for them. this is one that bloomed this spring.

Another one.

This one and the one above are blooming now. I also have one that is called the fingernail bromelaid because the tips are very red.

busybee,
Your bromeliads are gorgeous and well grown!
Thanks so much for adding them.

The first bromeliad is a Billbergia pyramidalis "Kyoto". it is the variegated form of Pyramidalis concolor... the common Summer Torch. they are very hardy and prolific.
The second one is Achemea "Silver Urn"
The last one is a Guzmania...I don't remember it's specific call name.

Enjoyed see your pics.
MsC

Thanks very much for the names, MsC. I enjoy these because they don`t need special attention.Mine are in the hot house and are only noticed when they are putting on their spectacular display.

Those are lovely pictures of the bromeliads..
Mine are somewhat neglected too but have decided to grow them out in the garden, so only recently put some outside in their pots, as we have been having some frost the past couple of nights [ unseasonable here for this time of year] they really are doing well..
I noticed in my Tropical books that they use a lot of bromeliads in the garden settings, this really gave me the idea, I grow a lot of gingers, and heliconias, the gingers do fine but not the others as they will not take any frost..The bromeliads look so lovely, yet are so easy care. I had just purchased a new book recently to see the different varieties..and there are some real pretty ones..

I have Aechmea Fasciata. I got it in bloom for my birthday last December.

The mother plant is still alive , only lost a couple core leaves last summer.

In the meantime she just keeps pumping out side shoots. I'm at the point that I'm giving them away .

I have that one too and it is so prolific, in fact bursting at the seams with the new pups which are getting quite large now and I must separate...my garden and plants have been neglected somewhat due to ill health...not that I couldn't be bothered...
happy Thanksgiving to all

Here are a couple of mine. Nothing too exciting, as I am just a "budding" brom enthusiast.

First is one I picked up sometime over the spring or summer. The original one is still there, the larger part is a shoot that popped up. I don't know the ID of this one. It spans a couple of feet at least. You can see the tennis ball my dog cleverly put in there purely for perspective. ;)

This message was edited Nov 24, 2004 7:31 PM

Here it is right after I bought it (in bloom).

Here is a little Vriesea. Picked up at Home Depot over the summer. This one is in a four inch pot. It's losing color on the inflorescense. I've always liked these kind. This is V. striatifolia, yes?

Cryptanthus hybrid #4214. Don't know nuthin' about this one. A gardening friend just sent it to me a few weeks ago with a few other plants. That was her ID for it. Cool, regardless! This is in a 4" pot.

This message was edited Nov 24, 2004 7:32 PM

Another Cryptanthus, this one possibly 'Pink Starlight' (again, my friend's ID). I also like this one. The green band on that one leaf is a discoloration where the ID tag is normally attached (I removed it for the photo). This is in a 2" pot.

This is a mount I did over the summer with an unknown. I think this is probably another Cryptanthus, though don't know. It's grown really well, though it's greener than it was over the early part of the summer. It was more pinkish. Very fuzzy pic - sorry!

This is a better picture of the same Cryptanthus used for the mount. This is growing in 6" pot. It's filling back in very nicely. I emptied well over half the pot to make the mount. By the way, the mount is about 12" square.

Wow!
Carter , your first bromeliad is something special! I guess if you are going to start collecting you might as well start at the top...lol

The 1st bromeliad is possible Guzmania dissitiflora , or commonly a variegated form of lingulata cardinalis both called a Striped Ribbon Plant...they usually go for a nice preice when you can find them.

Your lil crytpanthus is probable C."Feuerzauber"...they are nice lil plants and I collect them too.

I love them all.

MsC

A few more, In the hot house now.

These look good mounted on drift wood.

Another

busybee,
Your bromeliads look great. I love em all!! lol
I have one that is almost identical to the first one named 'Eugene'... it was an eBay find and such a nice person to deal with, too.

I'm so glad to see others that enjoy bromeliads as much as I do. Thank you all for posting the pics.

I have tried a few mounts but mostly I keep mine in pots and spread them around the garden for accent color...

Here's a few more of mine..

Well, I guess I will go resize a few pics...lol

MsC

Whow!! what a beautiful shade, have one similar only mauve/pink, however that one you have is eyecatching...will look it up in my book so know what to look out for....[ and check out ebay too]

I know nothing about these plants. My friend works for a plant company that puts plants in the Mall and office buildings. He brings me plants that are scheduled to be destroyed sometimes. He brought several that look like the Cryptanthus type (going by the above pics). They had a very bright red center stalk. I kept one and gave the others away. The one I had the stalk was pulling out so I cut it back. It has had about 10 baby plants. I just keep pulling them out and potting them up. I have more than I can use if anyone wants one. BTW I grow mine outdoors but am told they are an indoor plant. Is that true? George in San Antonio


ONE DOWN AND TWO LEFT of this current batch of babies. If you want one and I run out I will keep your e-mail and let you know when I have more babies.

This message was edited Nov 27, 2004 6:32 PM

All out fo now but if you want one e-mail me and I will let you know when the next batch of baby plants arrive.

This message was edited Nov 28, 2004 11:44 AM

These pictures bring back such memories. About 25 years ago bromeliads were my first plant obsession! I remember I got my husband to take me to a nursery called Shelldance in Pacifica that was up a huge hill. I was in 7th heaven! I think then McClellans also had huge greenhouses with them in also. I remember I snuck into the private ones and they had pink ones growing that I would have killed for! I belonged to the Bromeliad Society! I used to go to meetings. Now I go to Home Depot and they have such incredible ones available.

kell,
I just love my bromeliads, all of em. All the pics posted look so good too.
We don't really have a place that sells really nice ones. Home Depot & Lowe's carry a few of the standard types at high prices but, I do have a few really good sources I get some of mine from.
Have you seen the really PINK centered neoreglias?? They are to die for.
I put a lot of mine under the canaopy of my Brugs this year and they looked very nice. Seems like I have them everywhere now and some can even take a bit of colder weather with no problem.

I think they are just grand!

MsC