Allison, I got my Brome!!

Thanks, Heather! I appreciate the input!

I have bought one or two bromiliads in bloom, but I've never succeeded in getting them to bloom again.... I will check that site for suggestions! My local nursery suggested putting them in a baggie with a ripe apple... mine stayed in my terrarium for months with various ripening fruits, and no sign of a new bloom. Maybe if they've been forced to bloom they take a while to recover & rebloom, but I had one for 3 years without a rebloom (it died this winter).

Allison, I'm having zone envy again at the notion of all those beauties living out in your garden!

Thanks Jill We are lucky and they need no care and bloom every year 10-12 months the flower last ! We had them in the sun but it was to hot and burned their leaves so now they grow in a garden with morning sun and shade and as happy as can be !

Here's the things about Bromes...they only truly bloom once...then they slowly die. Many other plants are like this, the name for it is monocarpic. A Yucca plant is monocarpic. However, most monocarpic plants usually put off many, many baby plants before dying.

I believe there are some Bromes that will bloom more than once, but they are rare, and I would imagine very expensive.

Jill if your nursery understood that your Bromes had already bloomed....they might want to read up some! =^)

Also, the colored leaves on a Brome are not it's blooms. A Brome will produce flowers, but their flowers shouldn't be confused w/ it's colored leaves. Most big box stores add to this confusion because they want folks to think that the colored leaves are a type of bloom...it's their selling point I guess. The pic I posted of mine above (the reddish/purple one) isn't blooming, those are colored leaves.

Anyhooooo, if your Brome is producing babies it has already bloomed from my understanding. Their cycle is the same as any other plant, except they only bloom once before they start their decline. Most likely that is why they'll put off a lot of pups so quickly. Any plant's purpose is to produce the next generation...once that is completed they die...or can die in peace, knowing they fulfilled their purpose! LOL

How many folks have had a Yucca bloom and the next year it's dead? How many folks have planted a Yucca and ended up w/ about 100 baby plants? It's the same deal.

If I'm wrong about any of this Lorry can correct me...and I'd love for her to! I'm just going from memory from research I've done on the net.

Oh, and the Brome from the other thread is spectacular! If my dh brought that home I think I'd make him a turkey dinner w/ all the fixin's! I don't even do that at Thanksgiving...my DSIL does and we show up w/ rolls! LOL (am I a cheap date, or what???)

ROTFL! My nursery actually had printed the "tip" about the apple on a sign for the brom table! Wow, they are usually better informed. I'm glad it wasn't anything I was doing or not doing to the plant!

So.... that tall strikingly colored center thing is not a bloom? On my plant, it lasted a long while (many months) before turning brown, whereupon I cut it off. The remaining leaves persisted another year or so, but I never saw any pups.

I had better bone up on these plants before my pup from Lorry arrives!

Correct, the tall part w/ the bright colors is NOT a bloom. It is leaves. On mine they eventually turn green. Usually the brighter the light the more intense the color...but they don't usually like too bright of light.

I'm not certain, but I would think yours didn't have pups because the growth tip was removed.

As to why it turned brown in the first place...there may have been an issue there to begin with. Maybe too much water and it rotted?

Most Bromes only have roots to support them, their roots are not for taking in nutrients like other plants. That's why a lot of Bromes are called "air plants" and are grown on other plants or driftwood. They get moisture and nutrients thru their leaves. A Brome can be terrestrial or can become terrestrial after being in soil for a while. In any case, they do not require much water. As far as I know the only exception to this would be the Earth Stars which are a type of the Crypts...the 'It' I have and the one Allison is thinking of getting are both Earth Stars. I've read conflicting info on these...that they should be kept watered as other Bromes and also that they like to be kept moist. So, we'll just have to see how they do.

I'm trying to find pics of a Brome that shows it's bloom cycle so you can easily see what I mean w/ the differences between leaves and blooms.

Can't find exactly what I want, so this will have to do.

This Brome is not in bloom. You can see how the colored part of the leaves are changing from red to the variegated green & white. Blooms don't turn into leaves. LOL! =^)

This is also NOT in bloom, although it looks it. The blooms on this one will come between the little pieces on the orange thingy that looks like a bloom.

I can't remember what all this stuff is called...and if I did remember no one would know what I was talking about anyway! LOL

Look at the orange one right above good, then look at the bloom on this one...they are the same type of plant.

This isn't the best pic, but I'm just swiping these off the net where ever I can find them.

Can you see how this is coming out from between the little sliced looking pieces?

Maybe this one will be better to see the details. Same type of plant, just set up different. The pink is not the bloom, the green and yellow parts up high are the blooms.

Here's a great pic to show what I mean

Red is not bloom. Bluish/purple/pink is bloom. How cool is this?

edited because I don't know my colors

This message was edited May 14, 2006 2:33 AM

Feed me, Seymour!


(sorry, I HAD to)

another

I'm just trying to post some pics of popular Bromes so y'all will see the difference between blooms and colored leaves....and I'm having fun

Remind anyone of a Yucca? They've got to be related...I've got to research that.

Crypt blooming

Did you know Pineapples are Bromes?

Last one...it's one you'll want. Name is Aechmea drakeana...figure out how to say it first tho.

Go here to see more on your own http://www.bsi.org/ look under Genera Gallery

Thanks HeatherJoy for all the interesting information anf fun pictures !
And for Feed me, Seymour!

Not to worry about the shipping. I am sure it won't be much
and yes some bromeliads die after pupping but I don't believe the variety you posted does.
Sometimes they say they do and they don't! My raspberry cryptanthus is supposed to but she has been pupping for over a year and the mom still seems to be a happy camper (LOL)
I have heard mixed review on the care of bromeliads. Here is FL they are easy to grow and live right outside..but I have heard people say they make poor indoors plants....Soooo I honestly don't know how they are to care for if they are in the house :)

Jesse..I think your little lovely is actually a succulent of some sort (perhaps of the aloe family?) He is too cute :)

heather ..I love your pineapple photos (laugh) have you seen the ones that produce little pink pineapples? I adore them and they have em at Fairchild gardens They are just too awesome!!!!!!!!!!!


Some of my cryptanthus are blooming. I should take photos to share :)

Critter...heather is right...Bromeliads only bloom once :) then they pup off and the pups will bloom and so on :) so it isn't that you are doing something wrong :)



Heather, I have a variegated Bromeliad but it has a yellow flower..She is healthy enough but never pupped for me BUT if you ever want me to pick one up for you...they are like 10.00 at our local nursery :) and we have lots of different varieties..we have the low growing ones with the red centers and the high growing likeyou posted but with a yellow flower :)

Christmas..It isn't mine :) it is heather's :) and right now..I think I officially gave away all my cryptanthus pups but will keep you in mind next time I have more :)






Allison I have a pup of this one for you, For critter and heathr, no worries :) You will get one also :)

Heather, thanks for all those great pics! What fascinating plants!! The difference between the bloom and the colored part is now quite obvious to me - duh!

Well, it sounds like I still was doing something wrong, since both of the 2 broms I've had turned brown in the middle, hung on for many months after, and then died.... I didn't water the soil much, I just kept water in the "cup" at the base of the leaves.... but maybe that wasn't the right thing to do, since I was following the advice of that same garden center that told me about putting it with an apple, LOL.

Lorry, I swear I will try to do better with the pup you're sending! Maybe we should make sure it comes with "care & feeding" instructions...

LOL critter :) You are too funny!
Cryptanthus don't have the same care as bromeliads so no worries.

Keep em on the dry side and don't fill the vase full of water (they won't like you if you do!)

Lorry please send my pup to Christmas . She is a sweet peep and I have so many plants and can wait.
The bromalaids picture I showed you vlooms each year. We had one and they kept having pups but Moms never died and bloom each year ! We gave one to the park owner 's wife she collects them big time and knows all their names goes to shows and on and on !
She told the name of ours and asked for a pup as she says their rare and she can't get them anymore. But whats really something they bloom mine every year 9-12 months and mom's have never died. I was just telling Hubby he says yeah ! They do !

*whew!*

With both crypthanthus & bromiliads being discussed on this thread, I was getting confused!

So if I treat the cyptanthus pup like a cactus, that will do the trick?

LOL well Critter :) Cryptanthus are bromeliads :) and they is how they both got honorable mentions on here :)

Yup you can keep em on the dry side like Succulents. But because they are true ground dwellers...they grow a little differently then most bromeliads :)

Y'all want to know what's really funny? There's more info on this one thread about Bromes than there seems to be in the whole Brome forum!! Seriously, I checked it out last night and there's not much going on over there. I felt bad for them...so I tried to answer a post or two. Lots of folks looking for IDs.

Critter, I'm sorry if I confused you. I didn't mean to. Follow what Lorry says, she obviously knows what she's doing...just look at her results! Holy Crypts, Batman! Isn't she the most generous person you've ever met?

Lorry, I'll be considering that offer about the $10 plant at your local store. I may just take you up on that...we'll have to see. It's very rare to find Bromes of any kind around here. Usually when I do find them they are priced $20-40 and I can't spend that much. They are also usually from Wal-Mart or Lowe's and haven't had the best care.

It's so interesting that y'all have had Bromes that have pupped and not died or declined. Like I said, I've read a lot, but not had Bromes for very long...so I'm going by what the "experts" say. LOL! I know there are also a few Bromes that are non-puppers (what a funny term!). If they are non-puppers I would expect them to live quite a while and rebloom...but again I could be very wrong. For those who have rebloomers, like Allison, you are soooo blessed!

I'd love to get into Allison's caretaker's house! Imagine what she has if she has some that are not around anymore. ooooooh. I wonder what she does w/ her pups? LOL!

I'm sorry I posted so many pics...I guess I got carried away a bit. he he he. There was a pic of the pink pineapples, and I'd love to have one of those. They didn't even look real they were so cute and neat looking. It looked like a plant poke stuck into some foliage.

You know, I wish we could move this to the Brome forum. Can we do that, or should we do that?

Heather, that's a good idea.... it's certainly an pretty off topic thread for this forum, and I'll bet the info would be useful for other folks also... just contact admin, and they will "make it so!"

ahh... so, cryptanthus are broms! my confusion is lessening (slightly)!

Ok I officially looked today..we were at Busy Bee :)
They have the smaller bromeliads for 5.88 or three for 10.00 (they typical types, like the pink and purple spout types and what not)
They have the HUGE ones....variegated, and the more typical type..they also have the green ones with the pink center that are low growing, the variegated with the red center that are low growing, and they yellow and red variegated with the variegation that are more the spout type..For 12.00 a piece :)

I would be happy to pick up for anyone that wants them.

I bought a variegated red one today..the ones I call the spout types...LOL..I will post a picture of it today to show you the size of the 12.00 ones :)

The plant we have Hubby had one when I met him about 4 1/2 years ago give or take more or less. It was in an old nursery pail and he can't even remember where he got it but it was stunning. And he said each year it bloomed...
When we were looking at homes here I saw people had them plants in the garden beds, hanging baskets from trees. I was WOW. So when we moved down the corner 3 1/2 years ago we planted ours outside. And each year it bloomed and gave a pup or two.
Then a year last Nov. we moved here down the street sold that home ov course took them with us ! Took hubby forever to get them into the ground with doing this home over making sure the other ready for new owners to move in move us...he never has any healp does everything his own.
So in the mean time he planted them in the front garden. One or two was still left unplanted. I kept telling a CNA to take one and some Pointsetts not planted yet but she diddly dadly forever and did not. Mean while our park ownr were building a hugh home but living in the trailer in front of us. Their younger it's family owned. She had asked my husband to ask me if she could have a baby of a plant. That they were rare and could not get them anymore... I was thinking of my varigated Spider plant lol What other babies , pups did I have ?? lol I told hubby to tell her just to cut a bunch..lol But he never did and more time went on maybe another month. And we were out on the deck/ramp and I saw Cindy and asked her what baby she wanted ! Well it was one of our Bromilaids " Wish I could remeber the name and what she told me about it" They are big. Well we had one still sitting over in the shade garden still not planted . We gave it to her she was thrilled. She was saying with the nice white stripes meant it was healthy... She gave us a bunch of different pups. Everything new pups planted in the front yard. But then the Colues came up and covered everything on one side.
I can see the plants she gave us have gotton big just hard to get them out without digging up everything. There's even Begonia under there tall Plumeria coming up over and more. lol But on the other side the sun was burning the broms. Now my husband has so much to do took him awhile to get things moved. Mean while some of the broms even had flowers all though it was hard to see them. I had the Colues cut down to see them and there were new pups too ! The other side ones bloom and had pups too. Now some where in Jan/Feb hubby moved them all in our shade garden . It does get real nice morning sun and everyone is happy !. I'm sure when I get a smaller pup I could ship it to you Lorry. I've been told you can't get them anymore $$$ and rare. The one plant is now 6-7 plants ! And we never lost one. Werid yes :)) I've read about them dying and wondered. Now I will wait for new flowers ! I will take some picture of them !

LOL, Critter. Don't feel bad. I read so much info before I understood anything about Bromes. Usually I'll read over something about a dozen times before it sinks in and I remember it well. Then I just have to worry about confusing the info w/ another plant...I don't want to be helping someone out w/ an AV and end up giving them instructions for a Brome!

Obviously, I spend a lot of time reading and rereading.

I will ask admin to post this to the Brome forum. I've also been looking up some ID sites to maybe put in a sticky for over there...along w/ some good care sites. I think I'll start some threads over there, if anyone has suggestions for sites PLEASE post them there. I'd appreciate it and so would everyone else w/ Bromes.

If you've had good success w/ Bromes please post your care tips as well. Hint, hint Lorry and Allison and all you others! =^) I know you're busy...but when you have time it'd be great if you could share anything you could.

Thanks,
Heather

I have sets of old GSN Journals Gesneriad Saintpaulia News ~ African violets, Gloxinias, other Gesneriads and Exotic plants.
Though they seem to be mostly African violets there is isssues and articles in each one about other plants !
A great name for us would be ~ African violets , Gesneriads and Exotic Plants ~

Well Heather it's Ok as it all started where I buy my pots. Then I showed you the other plants I want and so on .... Theses plants fit well in Gesneriads :))
African violets , Gesneriads and Exotic Plants ~

I think that all of us on this forum are a little Exotic...if you know what I mean. =^)

Yes they fit right in here with the Gesneriads ! My GSN news has articles about these plants and other Exotic plants !

Oh yes with over 3,300 known Gesneriads I'm sure these might fit into the Gesneriad family somewhere :))
And we are the The African Violets and Gesneriads forum :))
I am writing a thread on what is a Gesneriad .. even an African violet is a Gesneriad !

This message was edited May 14, 2006 3:58 PM

Here is the 12.00 one I picked up today :)
Isn't she pretty?

Here is one of the pups I pulled off of her

Beautiful Lorry ! Look at all your African violets WOW How do you keep them all watered :))

LOL..yes pardon the mess! I have been rearranging the plants and repotting..and they are strewn everywhere!
The ones on the back shelf are the ones from the wholesaler. I water them once a week. So it isn't really that hard to keep up :)

Here are some flowers off of my cascade cryptanthus