Hello there. I need your help identifying this flowering plant, so that I can research how to properly care for it. Unless, of course, someone can also help me in that department, as well. I've seen this plant before, as I think it's somewhat common, but I just recently became the owner of one. I thought at first it may be a type of bird of paradise, but now I don't think it is after looking at more pictures. Thanks in advance for your time and assistance. Sarah :)
Thank you, Chris. I am a plant novice. Anything else you can tell me about this plant? I don't know what the CV means. Also, do you know if mine will re-bloom? My work was going to throw this beautiful plant away, so I decided to take it home to enjoy. Thanks again. Sarah
cv means 'cultivar' which means it's a hybrid. brom's need to be kept out of direct sunlight...filtered lighting is good (like through a sheer curtain). they like to stay warm and you water them by putting the water in the plant at the base of the leaves. the water should be changed every couple of weeks. (just gently tilt the plant so the water drains out and then refill).
Actually, the no direct sunlight is not quite correct. If you rent the movie Medicine Man with Sean Connery you'll see thousands of them growing out in full sun. The vast majority of bromeliad species live high in the canopy in rain forests. I've photographed them growing in full sunlight many times. Most people don't grow them in direct sunlight, but in nature you find them there all the time. If you visit Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens in Miami, FL you'll find thousands of them growing high up on the branches on numerous large trees in the garden. I was there photographing many just this past weekend. These are epiphytic species. Epiphytes are simply plants that grow on another plant. There are species that live in soil but yours' in not one. Most of the terrestrial species are quite large. The plant has no roots. What you see that appear to be roots are actually "hold fasts". The only purpose they serve is to attach the plant to the tree. They do not carry water and they don't transfer nutrients. The plants collect rain water and store it in their cones. As a result, the plant is a natural source of water for thousands of birds and animal species that live in the rain forest canopy. Many can hold up to two gallons of water and provide homes to many species of frogs and amphibious animals. Some tree frogs live their entire life inside the bromeliad laying their eggs in the cone. The baby frogs are born in the cone and don't stray far from the plant. The "flowers" are not flowers at all. That is known to science as an inflorescence. It is made up of a number of parts and once the inflorescence dies soon after the plant will die as well. They are capable of producing seeds and birds often eat the seeds and then drop them on another branch in their own droppings. The bird's dropping contains just enough nutrient and moisture to cause the seed to germinate. Thus a new bormeliad forms somewhere else in the rain forest. A bromeliad produces only a single inflorescence in its life. However, don't panic. You will likely soon see "pups" springing from the sides of the plant. Those will grow into new bromeliads in the next year or two. Some produce a "runner" known as a stolen. The new plants form on the end of the stolen. Once established, the runner can be cut and the new plant given its own pot. It will take one to two years for it to produce its own inflorescence, but soon after that inflorescence dies, so will the plant. Its just natures way. Typically, an inflorescence will last 3 to 4 months. People grow them in very loose soil simply for convenience. Otherwise they'd be falling over all the time. However, many serious growers attach their plants to a piece of cork bark or any other suitable piece of dead tree limb. You can attach it by using a small amount of Liquid Nails glue. Just don't put the glue in the center of the hold fasts. That will end the plant's life even sooner. If you elect to do this, wash off all the soil first. Just apply a dab of glue to the side of the plant near the base and attach. I've got many of them growing on trees and cork within my artificial rain forest. Some soon turn into large clumps of plants but in time, each individual plant dies. The trick to keeping it healthy is to keep the water in the cone clean. Just dump it out and replace it often. Waiting weeks can cause the water to stagnate and few experienced growers will recommend that. Remember, in the rain forest it rains almost daily, thus fresh water for the plant on a constant basis. Most of the best growers suggest replacing the water often. You can give the plant a tiny amount of dilute fertilizer once in a while if you like. No need to water the soil. The plant could care less. But it probably will hold more firmly if kept damp. Many growers specialize in nothing but bromeliads. In Florida there is a large society of bromeliad growers. You can easily find their website on the net. There is also a large society in Australia. Both sites are filled with information. By the way, you don't have to put it out in the sun. It will do fine in bright light. But they don't thrive in deep shade. Bright light appears to make the inflorescence develop more rapidly. Great plants!
Thank you everyone for your words of plant-wisdom. I think these plants are just amazing looking. I appreciate all the help! Sarah :)
Thought you might enjoy seeing a tree filled with bromeliads. As you can see, the sun is shining directly on quite a clump but you can see them all over the tree. There is a large Anthurium further up on the same branch.
thank you, steve!! i had no idea that they could take direct sunlight (everything i've read and even the tags on the two that i have say bright indirect). i guess i can move them to sunnier spots, then, huh?!
Its a common misconception so don't feel as though you're alone! Until I actually saw them in the rain forest about 15 years ago I also believed they needed shade. The crazy part is I used to grow them in shade in my backyard "rain forest" in Miami and they would frequently die without producing any pups. I just could not figure that out since I was doing what the "books" said to do. Not until I actually went to both Ecuador and Venezuela did I realize they grow right out in the sunlight. If you go rent a copy of Medicine Man you'll see it very quickly as Sean Connery's character climbs up into the canopy and comes out into the bright light. The bromeliads are everywhere! A part of the premise of the movie was a species of ants were using the bromeliads to produce some sort of anti-cancer miracle cure. They later figured out (in the movie) the bromeliads had nothing to do with the "cure". But the shots of the rain forest alone are worth watching the movie! Now, if you've been growing bromeliads in shade move them to the brighter light with caution. They need to adjust. But if you slowly move them to the bright light you'll often see the inflorescences and the leaves of the plant itself take on much more brilliant color. Many species will have simply green leaves until you move them into the brighter light and then the plant will turn almost red. Many of the trees at Fairchild in Miami have enormous clumps of bromeliads growing all over the limbs. The photo I posted was taken about 11:00AM and the sun was beating down directly on the plants. And just in case you need a good excuse to go to Miami, the Fairchild lowland rain forest is now in full growth. That is the closest you can get to a real rain forest and be able to walk through the "jungle" on a paved path with markers on the plants. Quite incredible! Thousands of species with many, many epiphytes up in the trees including enormous Anthurium species. They have also redone the indoor exhibits of tropical species that are too fragile to tolerate even a Miami winter. The orchid display alone can keep you occupied for a long time! Its worth the trip!! We live 1400 miles away and I still bought an annual pass!
Nice posts, photopro. One of my big Aechmea maria-reginae plants is in full sun, and it's decided just now to flower. A. blachetiana (orange leaves) loves full sun. Not to mention that our native Tillandsias (now threatened by a weevil from Central America) will grow happily high in the trees.
Thanks Dave. I'm not sure where this "must have shade" story originated, but I too recall seeing all sorts of Tillandsia growing in the Everglades in extremely bright light. In South America bromeliads are seen in full sun all the time. Strange how someone comes up with an idea how a plant should be grown and we all just fall in line and follow those instructions, right or wrong! I did it too for many years and lost quite a few bromeliads as a result.
I wonder if the bright light is ok for tropical areas where there is moisture in the air. I suspect during the hot summer here the plant would be safer in the filtered light area I have them in. Sort of a microclimate. I am growing them in loose orchid type soil along a board walk. A couple are on a dead tree stump. I have transfered some of my birdsnests to the same place and everything is going very well. Some summerdays are hot dry 40C Liz
I don't think there is anything wrong with very bright filtered light. Anthurium like your birds nest do better in the bright filtered light since the leaves will easily burn in direct light. I just saw a large beautiful specimen I gave a gentleman 7 years ago and he made the error of planting it in direct sun. It is alive but obviously suffering. In the rain forests of South America bromeliads can be seen up in the direct sunlight all the time. Of course, you have to climb 150 feet up into the canopy to see them and few ever get to do that! Much of the year it rains daily but a part of the day the sun is beating down directly on the canopy. Again, rent a copy of Medicine Man and see for yourself. The camera crew for that movie made that climb so you won't have to do it! The main point of my original post is I have heard people say for many years bromeliads don't like bright light and that is not the case in nature. If your plants are healthy, producing inflorescences, and growing new pups, they are likely just fine. I've received mail from one grower in Australia who does attach his specimens to trees in his garden with excellent results. If you've never read the work of Australian grower Derek Butcher you should take the time to read the information on his website. Derek is likely the top expert on these plants in the world: http://fcbs.org/butcher/dereksays.htm
I think that when a plant is growing in its native environment, it can tolerate much more (or less) than it can when it is growing in the less than optimal environment the average homeowner can provide. Lots of sun in the rainforest where all of the other conditions are perfect and being met is one thing, full sun in our homes is another, considering the plant is trying to acclimate on less than what it needs and may be a little bit stressed.
Perhaps, but I've proven over and over in my own collection if you attempt to duplicate nature's conditions you'll be shocked at what you get out of your plants. I believe the real problem is people just don't want to devote the time and effort to matching nature. It is just easier to put a plant in a pot, sit it on a counter, and give it a little water once a week. Personally, I've spent over 20 years visiting rain forests, reading countless botanical journals, and corresponding with botanists trying to learn how these species grow as well doing everything I can to give them exactly what they crave. But to each his own. It is likely people will still try to grow bromeliads in less than favorable conditions and hope for the best. I just prefer to see them grow in their natural majesty. You'd be surprised what you can grow if you give them what they crave!
It just dawned on me, and I didn't take any photos at all, but the entire bromelied room at Fairchild is in very bright light. That room is adjacent to the orchid display which has more dappled light, but the bromeliads have nothing but glass between them and the sun. There are also bromeliads in the orchid room which appear to be doing quite nicely in the dappled light as well. If you are anywhere near Miami, get over to Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens and take a look. You may change the way you grow bromeliads.
Oh, I would love to have the time, money, and resources - well, it all comes down to the money actually in my case - to be able to give my plants the ideal environment to grow in. At this point I don't even have a spare room to keep them in! If money and space were no obstacle, I'd have a big glass pyramid rainforest enclosure, complete with tropical birds and waterfalls, like Moody Gardens in Galveston. Some people only want plants around for decorating purposes, and they do look nice. When the plant dies, they just replace it with another- Home Depot has low enough prices that if you can get a few months out of the plant, it is worth it. And then there are those if us who enjoy the care and nurturing part of having plants, which is entirely different. And much more work, but if you truly love it, it doesn't seem like work at all....
Couldn't agree more! I spend a great deal of time caring for the 300 plus species of tropical species I grow but I do it because I love to watch them mature, nothing more. True, plants can often be inexpensively replaced, but when you care for a specimen for 20 years you don't want to see it die! And I'm fortunate to have several in the atrium I've had that long. As for the expense, I just decided I could spend money on all sorts of crazy things. I elected to put some in my artificial rain forest and let other things like going to the movies figure out a way to survive without me. I don't think they've even missed me! And when I'm playing with the macaw and listening to the waterfall, I don't miss the movies either!
Here's the happy Aechmea mariae-reginae. The pup cost me only about $10. I moved it once because the bed was getting crowded (which caused a few scratches). It's been an utterly undemanding part of the garden.
Hi everyone, I received a bromeliad guzmania as a gift about a year ago and I'm surprised at how well it is doing. I usually don't have luck with plants! I did a bit of research to discover that the new plants growing out of the sides are called "pups." I am really excited there are 2 pups. It's kind of hard to tell from the picture but the 'mother' plant has been turning dry and brown. I would like to remove the 'pups' and move them to new pots. What is the best way to do this? Is it possible to save the 'mother' too? Thanks!
It is natural for the mother to die once the pups are adequately developed. that is just the way nature works. But it is not adviseable to remove those pups until they are well developed. I have quite a few where I just allow the mother to die and totally fall apart before I remove the pups. But allow them to grow as much as possible before cutting them off.
Ok, thanks for your help! I was hoping there was some way to save the 'mother' but I guess it's just natural. I will wait till the 'pups' get larger before cutting.
