I just bought this at a garage sale and think maybe it is Hardy Queen's Tears? I'm new to bromeliads would appreciate any help in identification so that I can care for it properly.
ID please
Certainly a Billbergia, but (IMHO) impossible to tell which because there are so many specie/hybrids.
Dave
Thank you! I was told that this bromeliad survived our light frosts last year because it was left outside - that's what made me think it might be more hardy. Are Billibergia's known to be more hardy than other types of bromelliads? I don't think I'll leave my new "baby" outside for the winter though - I have a greenhouse for my tropicals and until I know more about them- better safe than sorry. I'll try and research Billibergia's and see what I come up with. Like I said in my initial post - bromelliads are new to me, but I think they could become addicting - but hey, there are worse vices in life right? Thanks again.
I don't think Billbergias are any more frost resistant than other typical Bromeliads. It's unfortunate that their blooms don't last very long, but they make up for it with fantastic color combinations.
For cultural info try www.bsi.org or www.fcbs.org.
Dave
I have a very large Bilbergia like this that I keep outside on a protected porch in the winter and move to the patio in the spring. I'm in zone 8b so it can get pretty cold here but this plant always blooms and requires hardly any care. carri