I've had this beautiful zebra-like striped Bromeliad for over 15 years, and this is the first time to bloom!! What a Surprise!!!
I looked and looked for the new replacement "pup", waiting forever it seemed.
Then, behold!! There it was, smack-dab in the MIDDLE of the mother plant!!
Anybody know the name of this beauty?
Thanks...
It's either Vriesea splendens or maybe one of its hybrids. One of the classic "upper-puppers," it generally produces a single pup right in the middle. If you are very careful and skilled, it is possible to remove the main pup from the main plant and keep the old plant alive for more pups. Of course you risk loosing both, so most people just let the new plant take the place of the old in the same place. The only disadvantage is that after two or three generations, the stem gets long and unattractive. It is a classic beautiful plant with long-lived color, both in- and out-of-bloom. If you want to see other pictures of it and some of its hybrids (most are very nice), go to http://fcbs.org/pictures.htm and navigate to Vriesea.
Dave
Dear Digital_dave, Thanks so much for replying. Thanks so much for the ID--"Vriesea" Never would have got that one... Any idea has to how to pronounce it?
"Upper-Puppers", I like that...I've been growing your more common Bromeliads for some 30 years, (I love them), but I've never heard of that before. I like "Classic", too.. Makes it special.
It's always been my favorite and was shocked when it flowered. Kinda scared that I'd lose it, though. Glad I finally discover the new pup--surprised at where it was.
Trying to get new pups like that sounds way too risky for me. Interesting information though.
If a "generation" is 15 years, (as mine took to flower), I doubt I'll live long enough to see it become unattractive.
It will bloom again then and have another pup to continue on? Hope it lives at least as long as I do.
Thanks, Diane
My mother used to get her bromeliad to bloom by putting it in a plastic bag with a ripe apple. It works, no need to wait another 15 years.
The apple method does work. If you want to try it, I would drain all the water from the center of the plant as you want the gas to reach the meristem tissue.
Ethylene gas (for some reason) plays an interesting role in flowering and fruiting of many plants. Over the years, there have been many products (Florel, Ethrel, Brom-Bloei) available commercially to induce blooming of Bromeliads. The latest thing I've seen are small round white "pills" (about the size of BBs) that do the same thing, but are a bit safer as some of the old products could damage the plants in high concentrations. I get my "pills" from a friend in the NY Bromeliad Society. I don't know the original source but I'd speculate Europe.
Well grown plants under good conditions will generally bloom far sooner than 15 years. In Las Vegas you have lots of sun but not much humidity which this Vriesea really wants.
Evaporative cooling would work very well for greenhouse grown plants in Vegas.
I've heard the genus pronounced Vree-see-ah or Vree-zha. I prefer the former.
Dave
I agree with digital dave that Las Vegas is a difficult climate for some Bromeliads to grow in.
I'm in California, inland enough that the air is dry, but the heat is still minimal and some of my Bromes bloom yearly, others I've never seen a bloom from.
Maybe the Vriesea is really too tropical for your climate.
I only say this because I need to take my own advice and research Bromeliads for my area better. The ones that do well like Bilbergia nutans "Queen's tears" are a real joy to have. The others, well, there is always hope.
Thanks to you both, digital_dave & Domehomedee,
Thanks dave about for the tip about removing the water from the center of the plant. I'll do that if I want one to bloom again.
Truth is about the Vriesea, I could have almost been as happy just to enjoy that beautiful plant on it's own and was a little nervous that if it bloomed I might lose it. However, I was blessed with that gorgeous flower--WOW!! And a "upper-pupper" as well!!
Domehomedee, I grew up in San Diego and used to have LOTS of Bromeliads growing outside. There was an old dead tree I had totally decorated with Tillansias ,(excuse my spelling).
It was a real climate shock moving to Las Vegas. I'm trying to grow Tomatoes & Bell Peppers in pots so I can move them under the patio during the Super Hot afternoons. Not easy to grow Anything here, but I keep on trying!!
Have to bring my Cacti inside during the winter, too. I don't know how my Roses manage, but they do.
Yep, Bromeliads are definitely inside plants--no greenhouse. We do run a Swamp Cooler some parts of the summer, but when it gets SUPER HOT, or during the Monsoons, we have to run the AC or die!!
Would either of you know the name of my now dead Norgeilia? It's pupped 4 or 5 times before, but this time the pup died. I really loved that plant.
Domehomedee, do yo have a photo of a "Queen's Tears"? I'd like to look for one.
Thanks again you two,
Diane
Google "Queen's Tears bromeliad" for a pic.
It would be worth a try, they do super well here with little care. Sometimes the ones on my back deck go for months without water and they still bloom and grow. I have one blooming in my backyard now.
Another good one is called Painted Fingernail Bromeliad (Neoregelia spectabilis). It's also real drought tolerant. I have them growing in the ground in my succulent garden on the side of a hill.
I'm getting more into tillandsias, I attached a bunch to a piece of driftwood and hung it on a tree near my back deck. I was really shocked when they bloomed! I figured eventually my neglect at watering them would do them in, but they're hanging in there.
As beautiful as the desert is I can't imagine living there and trying to have a garden.
I moved out to Albuquerque for a year and was basically miserable with the weather. I'd look out the window and say "Oh, what a beautiful day it is out there" and then I'd walk outside and then walk right back in. Too much Irish in my blood.
