Hope someone can help me with this one.

Hi everyone,

I was told there are a few people here who really know Bromeliads, so I was directed over to this forum to see if someone might recognize my plant. I've had this Brom for about three years and it had a label/tag when I bought it, but the tag is long gone and I can't remember what it is. I've looked through hundreds of photo's but I am not good at comparing photo's for identification. I don't know Brom's at all and don't know a Neo from an Aechmea from a Guzmania! ^_^ I have a Neoreglia 'Zoe' and was thinking this "looks" like a Neoregelia but I really have no clue.

Thanks in advance if anyone has any idea about the name of this one!

Lin

Hi Lin here are the brom lovers ...I am sure they will help you.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1046468/

Hello Lin, thats definitely a Neoregelia, but I couldn't ell you which species/cultivar it might be. It looks to be a smallish one, and I would think it could have a bit of fireball in there. I'll add a link in our brom thread and see if anyone there can tell.
The neoregelias have a flower head that sits well down in the centre, and have small purple/lilac/white flowers that appear in small numbers over a period of time. Thats the easiest way to distinguish them. Most have clourful foliage, but some are plain green with the centre flushing a red/pink/purple at flowering. Shade keeps the plant greener, and gives it longer, narrower leaves, whereas brighter light brings out the colours and makes the leavs shorter, wider and a much nicer shape in my opinion. Yours has great colour and shape, so you're doing something right!
Sue

Chrissy: Thanks for that link, I'm going to take time after dinner to read through that thread, at first glance I see some really beautiful Bromeliads!

Sue: Thank you so much for the description of neoregelias! I think I remember this having a bluish/lilac flower, and someone thought it might be Fireball. Gee .. I can't really take any credit for it's color or shape. I don't know a thing about Bromeliad's, just that they are interesting and pretty plants. When I bought this one it was in a small pot of soil and I transplanted it to the hanging basket and it hangs on my pool deck in sun that is filtered by the screen. Before I moved it to the sunnier location it was mostly green in color.

I went to Home Depot today for orchid bark and picked up a couple of real little Bromeliads ... no names but they sure are pretty! I better be careful or may end up becoming addicted to another plant! ^_^

Thanks for adding the link to your Brom thread .... I look forward to hearing what others think and if they possibly recognize this one! Even if I can't find the correct name I still love it.

Thanks again,

Lin

Hi Lin,
That's a very pretty Neo; you've done well!
I agree with Sue, the colour & size certainly suggests Neo. Fireball, which grows into nice spreading clumps & is a great red in good light.
Here's a pic I took on the weekend of a clump: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=90895&l=7918a9f8e6&id=100000179988890
Hope to see you in the brom thread.
Leisa.

This message was edited Oct 28, 2009 6:26 PM

Leisa,

Thank you for responding and trying to help identify my Brom. I'm leaning towards Fireball too, a few people have suggested that one and from looking at pictures it seems the closest.

Your link took me to facebook so I signed in but I'm very new to facebook and still having trouble navigating the site. Your above link took me to the facebook sign in page and when I sign in it of course takes me to my own home page, and I don't know how to get to your photo from my home page. I'm old and blonde and not real computer literate. ^_^

Yes, I'm going to check out the Brom thread later today ... off now to run some errands.

Thanks again for looking at my photo and helping with ID,

Lin

Hi Lin your plant is more than likely a Neo Fire Ball cross of some sort,( because of the number of plants they were crossed with is almost impossible to tell what it might have been crossed with if I had to have a stab I might say Red Planet !) and yes its well grown they are often referred to as Minnie's and lend themselves to hanging baskets or covering rocks and walls. To get them to multiply more quickly just cut through the stolon while its still in the pot making more plants then each plant will try and make a pup and so on . cheers mike

Hi Lin & all,
Sorry about the link above - I've replaced it & it should work ocrrectly now:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=90895&l=7918a9f8e6&id=100000179988890
I use Facebook, but don't intend to pursuade anyone to become a facebook user!!.

Nice tip Mike!!

This message was edited Oct 28, 2009 6:30 PM

Thanks everyone for input on the identity of my Bromeliad.

Mike: thank you for the instructions to get them to multiply, I had no idea ... just figured it would happen when, and if they were ready, LOL. I'm going out in a few minutes and will cut through the stolons. Can't have too many of these little beauties! I want to put a label/tag on my plant, is it proper then to label it "Neoregelia Fireball cross" since I don't know which the "other" parent is?

Hi LeisaD: I signed up for facebook earlier this summer (your winter, LOL) when my youngest sister told me to go to her facebook page! I am computer illiterate and had a hard time figuring it out and navigating around on the site, so I don't go to facebook very often. Thanks for the new link, that is really a pretty little bunch of Neo Fireballs!

Lin, pop into the Brom forum, Sue (Weed Woman) is magical when it comes to Brom's.