Aechmea Red Ribbon in bloom, even with temps down to freezing.

I like that one Sherri.

Gorgeous, Sherri!

I was surprised to see this bloom on a plant that I thought was a Queen's Tears. Hmm, guess not! the foliage is about 3ft. long and what a neat bloom, black buds and yellow flowers. Anybody?

That is very interesting and pretty Elaine. Hope you find out what it is.

dyzzypyxxy said: I was surprised to see this bloom on a plant that I thought was a Queen's Tears. Hmm, guess not! the foliage is about 3ft. long and what a neat bloom, black buds and yellow flowers. Anybody?

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Elaine, I am thinking it looks like Aechmea lamarchei and the size description you give would be a match.

Quesnelia Testudo giving some color bling to the garden now.

Thanks, Scott. Your Testudo is gorgeous, such a burst of color in the drab landscape right now.

dyzzypyxxy said: Thanks, Scott. Your Testudo is gorgeous, such a burst of color in the drab landscape right now.

Elaine I have a couple bromeliads that have blooms like that, one is Aechmea bromeliifolia.


The other is Aechmea Maculata


Sorry I don't have much of the foliage, not sure where they are in the garden right now.

Yep, those look a lot like what I've got. I checked in the database and the A. lamarchei doesn't have the long, striped foliage that my plant has. Might be just a difference in light exposure but . . . we'll see.

I'm just tickled pink that it has turned up such a great flower, in any case.

Aechmea caudata Patches flowering is a month earlier than last year.

Billbergia Fosters Striate in their first garden flower show of 2022.

Oh WOW, Foster's Striate is amazing.

Vriesea saundersii X platynema Variegated
I've had this for years, finally blooming. Keeps the pretty colors all the time, and no spikes.
Jan. starting the flower stalk


Now, the flower stalk is over a foot tall, so hard to get a pic of the whole plant in focus...excuse my leaves.

ardesia said: Oh WOW, Foster's Striate is amazing.

Alice, Do you not have Foster's Striate???

sunkissed said: Vriesea saundersii X platynema Variegated
I've had this for years, finally blooming. Keeps the pretty colors all the time, and no spikes.
Jan. starting the flower stalk


Now, the flower stalk is over a foot tall, so hard to get a pic of the whole plant in focus...excuse my leaves.

Sherri, Very impressive!!!

ScotTi said: Alice, Do you not have Foster's Striate???

No, I do not have that one. I may have had it at my last home but I would have to look it up in old inventories. I love the Mardi Gras colors on the flowers.

Wow Scott, that's close up

Here's a pretty Billbergia blooming, the tag is faded so I don't know what it is. I figured the faded tag out, it is La Noche.

Just some observations on what handled the frost and what did not. This is Neo 'Royal Beauty' and she is definitely a keeper. She was right out in full sun, in a container, with no protection or microclimate.

A couple in trees also did well. Was the tree itself giving off heat?


Others simply did not do well. Was it the variety, water, exposure, or what??? I did not lose any completely but some sure look raggedy.



Magali

Tequila

Alice that 'Royal Beauty' lives up to her name. The second photo looks like Galactic Warrior, they have a good cold tolerance, something like upper 20's briefly, and really color up this time of year. So coldest, temps are at sunrise, so maybe those up high in trees get the sun first to warm them up along with the warmth of the tree. I don't have many up high in trees, thanks to the squirrels, but what I do, they seem okay.

X Sincoregelia 'Cosmic Blast' Skotak