Here we are in June and feeling the heat. This Aechmea Fasciata (var Alba) has a cooling refreshing look. Or do you find it hot?

It is hot, I see some rain on the radar, fingers crossed it is coming here.

This one likes the heat it seems happy and giving me two more offsets.



Neoregelia eleutheropetala

We took off for the store today and ran into a horrendous thunder storm, it was coming down in buckets. The sun came out as we were coming home and when we got here it was bone dry. No rain at all. At least it has not been terribly hot, those pop up storms all around us have moderated the temp.

I like that Aechmea Scott and I think it is cool.

This mystery Neoregelia is interesting. When I acquired it last summer it was showing little color. As fall approached nice coloring appeared.
I thought it would come into flower when it produced a pup over winter. The coloration in any new growth was absent over winter but is returning again.




The pup today.

I like that Neo! We got a rain shower last night at sunset. It was so thrilled! You know its hot when even the hedychiums start to brown. They are saying our normal rain chance is supposed to crank up this week, I hope so! It was 101 again yesterday. My hose is getting tired. I just noticed a first pup on something yesterday I have been waiting for....have to get a photo today!

Interesting Scott, I like the variation in the coloring, but never seen one like that.

Gina, hope you get some rain soon, we've had some good rain here Saturday and Monday, sure was welcomed, miss how the rain cools things down. Looks like our dry spell is coming to an end, 40% today... Our highest temp was 98 twice a week ago in my garden was 96, hardly ever see that here.

Aechmea blanchetiana, lots of new plants, still awaiting a flower.

The temps have been strange for sure. We are moving 3 miles west of I-95 and would you believe it is always warmer west of the I? It was the same in SC. How do the weather gods know about interstates??? Funny it was always colder in the winter too. Interesting.

I was outside watering plants early this morning and noticed this Guzmania? forming a bloom. The tag is long gone, so I don't have a clue as to the name.


Different light:

Nice Lin, must be Guzmania bloom time. Yours had pretty coloring, almost a bit different looking, keep posting the pics of it as it develops.

Beautiful Lin!

Thanks y'all ... I've looked through some of my old photos to see if I could find the name but so far, nada. It may be one that didn't come with a tag.

I love the purplish tips on the orange bracts. A happy surprise.

https://www.houseplantsexpert....

in water aerobics talk about various topics while we splash & kick

today I had to mention the pools and snakes in FL!

Then we talked about bromeliads and that I don't see many here.

The instructor said her Queens Tears (Billbergia nutans) survive winter here.

Her description sounded like my Billbergia Wendi. I posted pics of the Wendi plant previously. The plants and flowers look similar. Are they the same? Is it worth trading pups?

The link I posted has small pictures of the flowers. Other care tips I found interesting. It does mention adding small amount of epsom salt to encourage blooming. Posts in other forums discuss pros and cons of epsom salts. Now I see source of info.

The last comment in the link is interesting. It says to facilitate blooms, you can put plant in plastic bag with apple for 1 week.
Then blooms will come in couple months!

wendii is a hybrid of nutans and decora. Looks quite similar.

A number of different Billbergias are commonly known as Queen's tears.

I don't know how accurate all of the photos are in our database but here are the entries for the B. nutans and B. windii with photos showing the differences:

Our database entry for Queen's Tears (Billbergia nutans)



Our database entry for Angel's Tears (Billbergia 'Windii')

Billbergia Windii and Billbergia Nutans are two different plants, 'Windii' is a hybrid of 'Nutans' Hybrid parentage nutans × decora, both are referred to as "Queen of tears", it is the drooping flowers, that I think gives them the name, and as Alice said many Billbergias are referred to as Queen of Tears.

'Windii' has larger clusters of flowers than the original 'nutans', both are very prolific. I can't say how cold tolerant they are since I obtained both of mine this past late winter, but have heard the 'nutans' can take down to freezing briefly, but 'Windii' isn't as cold tolerant.

Cotton Candy

B. nutans survived the occasional freeze at our last home with no problems and it multiplied like crazy.

This one I think is Wendii, the photo was taken at Marie Selby Botanical Garden.


This is my B. nutans aka Queen's Tears. Note the narrow foliage.


Another NOID Billbergia also known as Queen's Tears

I have had a basket of B. nutans hanging in a dogwood tree by the pool for 15 years and it has survives down to 20F, even survived sleet 2 years ago. They are TOUGH