Billbergia Bromeliad Species, Friendship Plant, Queen’s-Tears

Someone gave me one of these plants thirty years ago--I didn't know what it was. They said it was 'difficult' and they didn't want it any...Read Moremore. I had it for ten years before it bloomed. It was fussy and I kept moving it around the house until it found a spot it was happy in. Now it blooms in the winter--it's blooming now! I didn't know it could grow outside. I live in Oregon--anybody know if
this climate will allow that. I'm very fond of it--the one I have
is huge and continues to grow. After reading on this site,
I have better ideas on its care.

Today is the day! Ten days into the new year, I discovered my pot of Billbergia nutans sending out a 5-6" flower bud/stalk. I've had th...Read Moreis 'Friendship Plant' from one of our DG members who shared with me a small plant. I waited for several years before it became mature enough to send out flowers. Once it's mature; it rewards me every winter-- while everything seems to be bare and gray outside, with the exotic multicolor blooms. What's a delight!!!

Easy care plant; a bright lit window (in my zone it does well indoor year round). Required very little fertilizer, I don't remember when was the last time I fed this pot of plant. But, it remains faithful, just as a true friend would have. Its unconditional friendship gives me its flowers every year, whether I sometime forget about it (drought tolerance plant, sometime I neglect to water it too!). What's a true friend indeed.

The plant grows beautifully in my zone 9B shady area. However, gophers seem to have discovered it, and my black lab puppy has taken to ch...Read Moreewing on the stems which seem to give her uncontrollable diarrhea. They're listed as "non-toxic", but that is about the only thing she is chewing on consistently.

I picked this plant up for 50% off at a nursery, since it was basically dead in the pot. I don't know how they managed to almost kill it,...Read More because as soon as I watered it it decided to perk up and start growing like crazy. I have this hardy bromeliad outside year round here in Vancouver WA (zone 8b). It has survived down to 15 degrees F without any leaf damage. It is in a planter bag hanging in the crook of a tree, and temperatures that have frozen everything else haven't even phased it. This plant is nearly unkillable, and by far one of the hardiest bromeliads out there in my experience.

Enjoyed all the comments, especially how plant got it's name.
Thanks to some comments next spring we will see how she grows out of...Read More the pot in the tropical section here in Bakersfield, CA, zone 9b.
Leaves may be less than picture perfect, but the tree frogs love to live in them, just like in habitat probably. Great plant to demonstrate plant diversity

Many posters bemoan the lack of flowering of Queen's Tears, however, they can be forced to bloom at any time by enclosing the plant (with...Read More its cup empty to prevent excessive humidity buildup) in a plastic bag with a ripe apple. The apple gives off ethylene gas, which stimulates flowering in Bromeliads. Leave the plant and apple in the plastic bag for 7-10 days; the plant will flower in 1-2 months

I have had this plant for over 10 years and it has thrived on neglect. I started with one small piece and now have 4 large baskets of th...Read Moreem. I could have had many more, but did not divide them as often as I could have. I have them hanging on my board fence in baskets lined with coconut fiber. These plants do not need any dirt, just an occasional watering in the top to fill the bracts. They bloom several times a year. They are in the shade and enjoy the hot Texas summers and mild winters. I have put them inside a shed in prior winters, but just left them on the fence the past few winters.

I live on Orcas Island, and was given a start of this plant by a good friend. I enjoy it indoors in the winter, but put it out on the dec...Read Morek late spring until early fall. It blooms twice, once indoors and again during the summer. It has wonderful graceful leaves, and the most astonishing flowers, the tears from the queen. It seems to enjoy being pot bound, and is easy to grow.

This plant is a delight to have in the garden. I'm in zone 9b and we had some pretty nasty frosts, but these little critters merely turne...Read Mored a little yellow and kept on pushing. They were completely unprotected. Ours bloom all the time and when they do, we put them out near a walkway where you can't help but stop by and enjoy the beautiful flowers.

An enthusiastic positive rating for this plant. I think it might be hardy to z9a, as it grows in a hanging basket in my garden and it wa...Read Mores not overwintered in 2011 or 2012. Granted, those were very mild winters for us. Just got a little ratty. It is a very easy plant for me.

I love this plant because I can't kill it! It has been pot bound for several years, but seems to love it. A couple of years ago, I placed...Read More it in full sun and watered it daily, but it never bloomed. I put it back on a southern facing covered front porch with mainly afternoon sun from the west, and it blooms profusely. I only water it about 3 times a week from spring through summer, and practically forget about it in fall and winter. It lives on the porch year round unless we experience a hard freeze at which time I move it temporarily into the foyer. I used Miracle Gro Bloom Booster fertilizer weekly on it the year it was in full sun, but it still didn't bloom that year. I don't fertilize it now that it is in part shade, and it does just fine. The weird weather we're having this year prompted it to bloom in December and again in late April. It is still blooming (May 22).

I have had this plant in my kitchen for 3 years and a friend just gave me a smaller one. I must admit to being a bit mystifyed about it....Read More It gets mostly shade or late afternoon sun and it is alive, but it looks nothing like the plants you are showing. It seems to grow at the slowest of paces and is the most boring collection of green leaves I have ever seen. Obviously I am doing something wrong. So I'm going to take a bit of all your advice, on top of putting the 2 plants outside this spring and summer and perhaps I'll get to see the beauty you are all enjoying. Wish me luck. I'm the first entry from NJ.

Plenty said already about these unique and magical looking plants but I just want to say, even a black-thumb should have no trouble! I've...Read More had mine (the "fat" variety and the narrow-leaf variety) growing for years (I was actually trying to find out if there are two different names but striking out so far). Been through many cold snaps every winter, never a sign of any kind of damage. Plenty of baking hot days into triple digits for short periods. Most I keep under a patio roof, some are in the ground and raised pots in full weather. The ones that get more exposure tend to acquire a bronzish-blush I find less attractive. Some of mine don't get any direct sun and perhaps don't quite bloom as much. Despite my many forms of neglect neglect they do well. I (hand) water regularly in summer but have never really seen them look thirsty even on hot days or when I've forgotten. They fill pots quickly and seem content to be crowded. I almost never fertilize. Mine are all blooming nicely right now (March) in Sonoma. We had some dips into the 20s this year (and most winters), low 30s in the last few weeks. No casualties in the history of growing them.

I bought this plant from a garden shop in New Zealand about 5 years ago, nobody new what it was. I have had it in a pot on my deck and h...Read Moreave had to keep repotting as it grows quite fast with not much care. I just love the flowers and have a small garden to fill that only gets late afternoon sun but in this country and where we are (coastal North Island, most beautiful beach in the country, Mount Maunganui, great spot!) it is still intense sun late aftenoon. After reading your blogs I have the confidence to break it up and try it in the new garden, I will keep some in the pot in case it fails as I have never seen it anywhere else in this country. I will be planting in quite sandy soil with some compost added, hope that will be enough.

One tough plant. It survived multiple light freezes in my 9A zone this past winter and now (Feb 2011) is blooming profusely in a shady s...Read Moreetting. More than that this plant has been salt-tolerant for me. Salt tolerance is something you can't know in advance because assuming a plant description even addresses the matter, it says only "yes" or "no." In fact salt tolerance comes in degrees. You have to try it where you live. So I live about 600 feet west of the Atlantic Ocean. Not on the beach, or across the road form the beach, but close enough to kill, say, the beautiful Osmanthus fragrans (at least I think that's the problem; I've tried 4 of 'em). This Billbergia nutans has done well outside in my setting.

I saw this plant at a residence in Newport Coast, CA in 2007, and I never could forget it. It's the most unique little flower I've ever ...Read Moreseen...an inflorescence of blue lines bordering yellow petals protruding out of pink needles. Very unique to say the least. I found it early 2011 at Roger's Gardens in Newport Beach, and I have it under a patio, receiving direct sun only in the afternoon. We'll see how it does. I'm not too worried.

Update 2013: plant is in pot. I got bored of it, and it looks dead, since I may not even have watered it once this year, and only a few times last year. I wouldn't be surprised if a splash of water would bring it back again. VERY resilient plant. My only problem with the plant is it looks ugly 11 months out of the year. BUT the one month it has flowers, man it is breath-taking.

This plant was a mystery in my garden for a few years, until I recently identified it. I'm not sure where it came from, but it started b...Read Morelooming a couple of years ago, and is beautiful. The plant is very hardy and is starting to spread. It's in my East-facing garden close to the house where it gets morning-early afternoon sun, and not much water. It's apparently cold hardy since we get hard-freezes here. It also seems to be drought-tolerant. Now that I know what it is, I'll try to propegate the pups. Beautiful leaves when it's not in bloom, this plant makes a great accent.

I live in Beaufort S.C. I have had my Queens tears plant for many years now my Grandma gave me it ,She used to grow them on her front por...Read Morech, i have had it in big planter near my front door in the shade the whole time does well with neglect ,i just let it grow it get water when it rains. It does well in the cold too it has been in temperature down to 14 degrees F. keep right on growing very hardy plant

Got this plant about 17 years ago. Left forgotton on a porch in nearly full shade. Moved to a hot climate 10 years ago and kept it on a...Read More patio with shade cloth over it.

Multiplied too many times to count, have it in many pots, most with no soil left. Basically from the time I took it, it has been neglected and has thived. From too much water, to not enough to cold winter (but no snow).

Just separated a pot and put the plants in clumps in the full sun in a new bed I just finished. Hoping it thrives with care!

the blooms are so sweet i love this its really taken off so good.

This beauty is alive & well in beautiful Beaufort SC.
Truly is much hardier than indicated. Has been outside for years in heat & ...Read Morecold & is a continual performer.

This plant has survived in pots over the winter with minimal protection for many years, an unheated, unsealed shadehouse. It is hardier ...Read Morethan stated although it could die if planted out due to the cold, wet soil we have for 9 months of the year.

I received a small starter plant from a garden in Gilroy, California. In a couple of years in our Zone 9a garden, it has propagated into ...Read Morelarge mats which I divided and planted here and there in the garden as well as in a couple of terra cotta containers. They all survived unprotected for an unusually cold week where temperatures dropped to about 20 and stayed in the mid 30s. In March, they began to bloom with flower stalks appearing throughout the mounds. The plants receive moderate water and absolutely no feeding. They seem to enjoy neglect.

This plant has survived our wind, rain and frosts (28 degrees Fahrenheit ) For 3 years in a pot outside. The slugs and snails have not bo...Read Morethered it and the unusual blooms make it a favorite in the garden.

The humming birds like it too!

Most of the Billbergia species are native to Brazil; however, they also occur from Mexico south and down the Atlantic coast to Argentina....Read More A few may also occur along the Pacific coast to Peru. The pink, blue and green flowers hang from the ends of this flower spike with each petal tightly recurved and edged in purple. It blooms at the end of January through February in the San Antonio area. The petal tips of the Billbergia nutans var. nutans blooms have hairs which are difficult to see because they are very small. The blooms exude a very sticky clear nectar which forms visible droplets. These droplets, plus the royal purple of the bloom edging, are the reasons that the plant is commonly called "queen's tears". It is also commonly called "friendship plant" because it readily produces offsets which may be divided from the mother plants and shared with others.

It needs partial shade to bright indirect light and is a terestrial bromeliad that is said to be able to withstand temperatures to the lower 20s (F). However, I am afraid I will lose the plants at this temperature so I place them in my greenhouse when hard freezes are expected. I plan to plant a few offsets in the ground this spring and leave them there through next winter to determine their hardiness. One of my neighbors left his out when the temperature fell to 22 degrees (F). It looks fine and is still blooming.

A good soil mix for this plant is composed of 3 parts peat moss to 2 parts sand to 1 part loam. The soil should be allowed to dry out between waterings. I sprinkle the leaves with water so that it can run into the vass of the plants. The plant doesn't require much care and seems to be able to withstand neglect.

Note: When working with the plants, I have a burning, itching allergic skin reaction which lasts for a few hours. No blisters are formed.

Excellent plant here in sandy coastal garden (zone 9a)

My aunt had this plant in Sunland, California. She gave me a shoot and I 've had plants multiplying for years. Some shoots have gone to...Read More Washington and Texas and done well in both places. I didn't even know what it was for years, but saw its picture in a Reader's Digest plant volume. My vast family (the plants reproduce really well) blooms around February here in Oak View (near Ventura -- south of Santa Barbara). I've given away dozens and dozens of the plants...and think maybe that's why it was called a friendship plant. So unusually beautiful!

I hear that after the mother plant blooms,she dies?
I live in North Texas and my Plant gets exposure from the south window, with a...Read More flourescent light above. I have never seen it bloom. Am i doing something wrong?

Queen's Tears also makes a very nice hanging container plant - They seem to be quite tough - I protect them from the wind in winter but t...Read Morehey seem capable of handling temperatures down to about 25 F.

Love this plant!
Re:Propogation
Here's what I found about seeds from:
...Read Moredgnew"rel="nofollow">http://www.junglecloud.com

"Propagation is usually done by taking rooted offshoots or ‘Pups’ from the original plants. These offshoots occur from the rhizomes at the base of the leaves. Leave the pups on the plant until they reach at least one third of the height of the original urn, as very young pups rarely develop roots. Staking may be necessary until they have developed a stronger root system. Seed grown plants are also possible, but this method is usually used only for raising new hybrids. We have discovered that sowing the seed on finely chopped, moist sphagnum moss is the most successful. To keep the air permanently moist around the seed, place a sheet of glass, or a plastic bag, over the top of the container. Leave in position until the plants have grown big enough to survive on their own. Keep them out of direct sunshine while the plastic bag or glass is in place or they will cook."

i have just recieved this plant from a friend that lives in Garden Grove,California. She told me that she has had this plant since the la...Read Morete 60's or early 70's and has moved the plant around from house to house in the general area of orange county and it has always done well for her / it is all across the North side of her home and is quite beautiful when it blooms

Edgewood, Washington
Had this great bromelaid years ago and just loved it. It would bloom every year around December. Think it w...Read Moreas partly do to the amount of light it was recieving. It would bloom and then the mother plant would produce "pups" to grow and bloom the next year. Plant was bug free and problem free. Just wish I had a start of it again.

I also bought a 2" potted plant 5 years ago and have given away many offshoots of it over the years. (It is not invasive, sending out jus...Read Moret enough for sharing). The blooms make a very interesting conversation piece in floral arrangements. I have it planted outdoors in my part of California (9b). It shows frost stress, but comes right back in the spring. It has bloomed every year and is a fairly maintenance free plant.

My Bilgergia lives at my office and bloomed in December! It likes "Eleanor's VF-11" added to it's water, and seems to bloom more readily...Read More when it is used.

my husband bought my queen's tears five years ago in a two inch pot. the longest leaf is 37"! it hasn't bloomed yet but it is a real unus...Read Moreual plant, kind of silvery on top side and striped on the back, and spines all down the whole length of the plant. going in ouch! coming out ok. it has put out pups that are as big as the original start. will have to see if can download photo later. It is one of my favorite plants!