Greetings! I've never posted here but just wanted to say....you guys are slowly taking me to some serious addiction....
One of my plans for this year is to learn more about broms and add some to my garden!
Rob
Your VERY BEST, MOST COOL, bromeliads?
Goth, did you get your veragated Tim Plowman from Michael's? I don't know, but I think I remember seeing one there a few years ago.
Rob, welcome to the brom forum! glad to have helped create another addict :-)
No, I got it from Tropiflora several years ago now. There is a story associated with that bromeliad, and if I recall correctly, it went like this:
They had gotten one of the variegated Q. marmoratas at Tropiflora and propagated it, and had less than 10 plants, some of which they were planning to take to one of the big bromeliad conferences. But the night before the show, they were all mysteriously stolen.
That left them with only a few plants back at the shop to propagate. They did so (and these are S-L-O-W) and finally offered I think only 3-4 single offsets for sale. I bought one of those offsets. It took it forever to grow into the photo you see above.
As far as I know they have not ever offered it again for sale, unless I missed it.
This is a pic of my Samurai when it was first blooming. You can see the little offset on the side...its a lot bigger now (this was a month or so ago)
Thats gorgeous Goth! I bet you had to pay a fortune for your variegated Q. marmorata! And no doubt your Samurai. The things we do to get what we want, eh?
Be warned Rob! This addiction can cost more than drugs (so I've heard)
Batflower, have you got your camera working yet? Would love to see your very best, most cool brolmeliads!
Sue
The Samaurai wasn't 'overly' expensive...it was about the size it is in the photo when I bought it, a blooming mom with a pup and if I remember right it was $20. I was at the Tropiflora Spring sale and there it was just sitting there, LOL
That is lovely GQ, another one for the wish list!
Here's my excitement for the week, Aechmea 'Puerto Rico Black,' whose flower stalk is just about to open up.
Look familiar Magi? lol! I've been monitoring it every day for new activity.
Here are the buds, I love the contrast of orange/red and the bit of purple at the tips.
One more of my favorites- the front brom in this picture. It's a little beat up from the cat ricocheting off of it while climbing the oak tree, but I love its glowing shade of pink.
weedwoman, the Billbergia I thought was a NOID is in the back, against the tree, but I dug around it and it does have a tag! It's labeled as B. 'Janet Wilson,' but I can't find it when I Google it, so I'm not sure what's up with that. The picture isn't very good, but it is different from 'Catherine Wilson.' The leaves are much pinker. It hasn't flowered yet, maybe this year.
Hi Cathy, I looked up your Aechmea 'Puerto Rico Black' because your plant looks very much like my Aechmea 'Chianti', now I don't know what to think? It looks as though A. 'Puerto Rico Black' has a yellow inflorescence and it is broader at the base of the spike, also the leaves are frosty looking underneath and green on top. Mine is more like yours, in that the inflorescence is orange, narrower and the leaves are burgundy on both sides. Any chance yours in mis-named?
Goth, what a bargain! I watched Samurai go for$300 on Aussie Ebay a couple of months ago. (did I already tell you that?)
You must be joking? That's robbery!!!!
Hi weedwoman,
I got the A. 'Puerto Rico Black' last year from Tropiflora, after looking at and admiring A. 'Chianti.' I can't remember the specifics, but I think that all the 'Chianti' plants were spoken for- a big order for a (insert name of foreign country here that I can't remember) or something to that effect. I asked if there was something else similar and this was Brian's suggestion. The price was easier on my budget too, I believe the tag says $6.00. I needed an orange and purple bloom, no matter what plant it was on!
I just looked at pictures of both:
A. 'Chianti' http://fcbs.org/images/Aechmea/a_Chianti.jpg
A. Puerto Rico Black' http://fcbs.org/images/Aechmea/a_Puerto_Rico_Black_4090-2.jpg
and do recall that the 'Chianti' had a darker leaf.
Do you have a picture of yours, blooming?
Hi all , yes Cathy I recognise it ,it is lovely can't wait to see how it does.I have a few named ones that I couldn't find either in PF.
Just been dragging some of mine in as it will be 33 here tonight , then it goes down hill the rest of the week 27 on a couple of nights for several hours . Still have to go and cover some .
Trouble is it has been so rainy I am not sure cloths over plants is going to help when they get wet and freeze. oh well guess it is in the lap of the gods and goddesses.
Wow $300 Sue, think the most I had paid so far for one is $30.00
Hopefully I got a bargain yesterday 15 named cryptanthus for $8.00 , a bit of neglect but salvageable . Just hope they don't freeze in the mail now . Some look like doubles but that's o.k.
So far I think this is my favourite.
This one is a rather old flower, but you can see it is glossy under the leaves, no sign of frosting
And this one had yet to flower. It is in a much brighter spot. I guess there are alot of plants grown from seeds, with not much of a variation and named differently, which could throw pups that have the same genetic trait as one of the other seedling siblings?
Fleur, nice plant, but what is it? (i.e type of brom)
Yes, sometimes plants go for silly money on Ebay.
They also look alot like A. 'Royal Wine' but have a pendulous instead of erect inflorescence.
It is Pitcairnia sanguinea. Brought in and on the breakfast table right now.
Yes some are really expensive but I can usually find enough cheaper ones right now to fuel my addiction :0). I have only looked on ebay USA.
Ones I have on my wish list ( for sometime, not rushing ) are Brom Dyckia Black Moon, Neo Purple Plum and Ac Black on Black.
I have a little one that I don't think is looking too well , it might be how it is supposed to look this time of year I don't know. Can't get a pic tonight but it is a Dyckia marnier-lapostollei. Some of the bottom leaves seem to be browing also the leaf ends.
Hmmmm, I'll have to look tomorrow for frosting, maybe I can get a better picture. Perhaps if the two were side by side, we could see more of a difference. Maybe at their Spring Sale, I'll be able to do a photo shoot of the two in the same lighting, I think that would really help.
I'll have to go look at A. 'Royal Wine' now!
Magi, that is really striking and it looks so festive! I hope your plants come through the cold OK.
Thanks Cathy going out to wrap some more, I have the brugs lit up like Christmas trees
Most expensive one I could find on ebay here is AC Loies Pride at $89.99. Beautiful though.
Talk to you soon, g'night.
Dyckia marnier-lapostollei is probably the most finicky Dyckia in existance.
It didn't get as cold here last night as they predicted. After a horribly nasty day of rain and 50 degree temps all day they said it would drop to 33. It's 37 at the moment. But tonight and the next are predicted for the low to mid-20's so I will be covering stuff today.
I sincerely thought (like a fool) that we were going to slide out of this winter with no more cold. All the flowering trees, the Japanese magnolias, redbuds, star magnolias and even some of the azaleas have started to bloom. They are going to get whacked now, and anything remotely tropical (like the elephant ears, gingers etc) I still have up in my yard are going to get taken down for the season.
It could be worse, I have a friend in Ohio who's high temp today is supposed to be TWO degrees, and they have been snowed in for 2 days.
Thanks GQ, I can't get a picture yet as it is all tucked away behind other plants.
I had thought the same as you re the winter and was itching to get things planted out etc. Same here more to cover today, but I can't cover it all. It is so sad when everything has been putting out new growth.
Oh well nature will be doing some pruning.
As you say we could be worse off.
goth and Magi, I hope you were both able to cover everything that needed extra protection.
Looks like tomorrow and Friday nights will be the cold ones.
weed woman, here is a picture of the underside of A. 'Puerto Rico Black.' I don't see any frosting, though there is some sand that shows up as light specks, splashed up from yesterday's rain. Dang, should have pulled the weeds before I took the picture.
goth, I think we need another picture of one of your favorites...
That is such a pretty colour Cathy.
Thank you. Can't cover it all lol, would need some kind of dome tent, don't think covers are going to help some it is going to be just way too cold.
(Weather Channel desktop ) Tommorow morning we have 32F at 5.00 am feeling like 27F.
Accuweather says 26F by 6.00am.
Fri Morning 28F at 6.00 but will feel like 22.
Sat morning 26F at 5.00 am but will feel like 17F.
That is for Levy, Citrus, Sumter, Hernando
Black Mystic.
Our local weather dude says it will only be 28F here tomorrow morning, but the wind will pick up and it will feel like less than that, which is very bad news because tomorrow is one of my running days. So, like I did Tuesday when it was pouring rain, I will be running 11-13 miles on the treadmill at the gym (BORING). But I hafta do it.
Actually fluerone, don't laff, I do have a pop up tent greenhouse! I have had it now for about 8 years. Its very very useful. It has an inside square footage of about 75 sq ft. I erect it over an in-ground bed of bromeliads that I have and stack other potted plants in there with a little ceramic heater. It works extremely well.
I'm not so very worried about tonight because everything in the yard has already seen 28F this winter. But tomorrow and Friday, those are the bad days. Tomorrow I will be wrapping stuff and covering stuff. I brought everything potted in already under some sort of protection. They are saying possibly 20-21F here by first light Saturday am. That will actually break a record if it happens.
This is one of the little guys I will be covering up tomorrow, Neoregelia "Red Bands"
This is a Nidularium that I have growing out by the greenhouse that I don't usually have to worry about. Its blooming now.
goth, do you run marathons? That's a lotta miles on the treadmill.
Neoregelia "Red Bands" is quite snazzy looking. I like how the new growth on the central leaves is apple-green.
Magi, Black Mystic is striking. Reminds me of the static on our old television, years ago.
Last fall, we removed a few fishtail palms and white BOPs that had gotten a little too large. This brom was hidden in the jungle against the neighbor's chain link fence. I don't really remember planting it, but it's on my side of the fence so I guess I did. It has really mean spines. I tried to find it on the FCBS site, but got a little overwhelmed. I think it's a Billbergia, but sure would appreciate help!
Here's a closer shot of the flower stalk.
Yeah, I am a distance runner. I log between 40-55 miles a week. Running Boston in April, but have to dispense with our local race in February as a trainer, LOL
Hi Cathy, I'm not sure what your brom is, but am pretty sure its not a bilbergia. It's a very interesting flower. I will have a look on the FBS and see if I can't find something similar.
As for the burgundy Aechmeas, who knows?
I can't believe the trouble you guys go to to protect your plants from the cold. I thank my lucky starts I'm in a climate that is condusive to my addiction! Ha ha.
Ooh, ahhh, Goth! Thats alot of exercise. I'm fairly fit, but couldn't run 100 yards! (not without a rest) I do like to walk though, usually from the back door to the shade house and back. he,he.
I think I actually have that plant. If I recall, its an Aechmea, or an intergeneric hybrid with Aechmea in it (like a Canmea) but I can't remember off the top of my head exactly what it is.
Weedwoman, its not all that much trouble. For the very few nights it happens, its worth the effort. I actually thought that we might go the rest of this winter without a hard freeze, silly me. It was shaping up to be a non-winter there for a long time. That's the rub though...it only takes ONE NIGHT to do in 364 other nights.
I think if I quit running again, I'd blow up like a balloon. Even on my strictly calorie counted vegetarian diet. Must run to eat, that's my mantra, LOL
svplantingfool,
I am pretty sure your plant is Aechmea mariae-reginae
ssshhh I am not here, told DH I had just came in to switch of the computer, lol but had to nosy , will catch up tommorow :)
Cathy would it be maybe Heart of Flame, just guessing have'nt looked at Sues suggestion.
o.k. gotta go .
Oh, yeah Goth, I think you nailed it! aechmea Mariae-reginae for sure! lucky you Cathy
Wow, goth, you are super! Thank you very much, I would have gone crossed eyed for sure trying to find that brom, especially under the wrong genus!
I think we missed a bullet last night...right now its only 31! Unless it drops to 28 in the next, oh, 20 minutes, we missed a hard freeze. Hope they are a **little**wrong about tonight and tomorrow. Going to cover anyway.
Glad I could help on the ID! I wouldn't have recognized it if it wasn't one I have, LOL.
Hello again! Serious addiction starting here...which species would you recommend for a beginner to plant in the ground? Where can I look for local sources?
Here is a picture I took at the botanical gardens in Rio de Janeiro...(that's where my eyes were open to world of bromeliads!)
You could plant a lot of stuff in San Diego.
Billbergias, Neoregelias, Aechmeas and some of the larger Xerics like the big Puyas...Dyckias, Pitcairneas....
hummm...now you scared me, lol! First I must grasp the difference between all of them! For example, I look and look and I can't tell the difference between a Neoregelia and an Aechmea....
(another one from Brazil)
The one in your first photo is an Aechmea chantinii clone. There are lots. The one in your second photo is a variegated Ananas (pineapple) I have about 6 of those in my yard.