Ok, so I do not even know if Palms have leaves or what they are called...so my hope of figuring out this plant on my own is slim. It was a gift. I am guessing it needs to be repotted at the very least. I was told that it does not take much water, and when you do water it, you are supposed to pour the water into the leaves not the soil. I would love to find out what it is so I can care for it properly. Thanks for your help!
It's a Bromeliad, related to Tillandsias (Air plants) and you should water the soil as well as keep water in the 'cups', just don't keep the soil wet all the time - let some dry out between times. It likes very bright light all day and will flower when it's time for it to do so during the year. What happens eventually is that babies will grow up along the sides of the 'mother', who eventually dies off (can take 1-2 yrs), but once babies are half as tall, you slice them off with a sharp knife, keeping a few roots, and plant them on their own, and the cycle will start again. The flowers are fantastic, different for each variety. Some grow up like flat scales (on a stalk) of brilliant red or yellow, others as spreading bowls like the mothers, sometimes pink (and the mother's leaves will be silvery).
Guzmania? I've got a nice one with a red inflorescence just starting to sprout pups. If you're repotting i've been told that orchid mix works well, but i just mix a little sand and potting soil and its worked fine(anything with good drainage). I've also been told that putting it near a bowl of pebbles soaked in water will raise the humidity around it, which it likes. I've been planing to try that as soon as i can find some suitable pebbles somewhere on campus to steal. Why must they lock the greenhouse at night ?! :)
