Hello all..... has anyone grown a Blue bromilaid called puya berteroniana ? I want to try but have no clue how to go about it ,,, any info would be much appreciated Thanks in advance Ruth
bromilaids
It's an Andean terrestrial that usually grows at fairly high altitudes.
Here's some excerpts from the Smith & Downs monograph (Flora Neotropica, Monograph No. 14)...
Leaves numerous 1 meter long, blades to 50 mm wide
Spines stout, to 10 mm long
{flowering] caudex to 4.5 meters high, 80-100 branches
petals 5 cm long, blue-green
Grows on dry rocky slopes at 90-2000 meters elevation in central Chile
This is a very large plant with vicious spines - the spike and flowers are gorgeous, but you better have patience and lots of room to grow it. I've toyed with trying to get one myself. I have several other interesting Puyas that all get rather large and dangerous. (The spines have a very nasty habit of recurving in both directions making it very challenging to work on. Heavy gloves are a must.)
Dave.