Got it at a local plant swap, does it have another name?
This was tagged 'Queen's Tears'
The foliage looks like pineapple, there seem to be several in the pot but it's so prickly that I can't get a good look.
billbergia.... nuntans? not eactly sure but it IS a billbergia
if it is nuntans, it stands a chance of surviving a midlands winter if planted in a protected area and possibly given some additional protection. it is zoned to 8b (im talking about nuntans, here). are you on the lake? that would provide a little bit of a microclimate.
Not on the lake. I have a gh that I move my potted tropicals into for the winter.
Dutchlady, thanks for the info, I may try to re-pot later in the year when it finished blooming. If I'm able to separate it I'll let you know.
well since it bloomed, you should be getting pups pretty soon, and the one that just bloomed will eventualy die, as each rosette itself is monocarpic. you should wait until the pups are about the size of the original before dividing, just to be safe. keep the center watered and let leaves and things fall into the rosette to decay. i have heard that this is the main source water and nutrients for a bromeliad, as the have wimpy roots. i could be wrong so dont quote me, but i know it is a good thing to do. when you divide them, the new plants dont need to have any roots, just put the bottoms in potting soil deep enough to support it but not any deeper. they should eventually make roots to support themselves i hope this has helped. i did this for mine, which are in the ground and they are doing great!