I see sweet little frogs in these Billbergias often. This is the smallest one yet! About the size of a small grape.


4 inflorescences forming!

He's a cutie I love frog's I forgot to mention how healthy your blooms are LOL

Tiffany, I set a medium queens tears on my deck last year and we were all delighted to find several of those little grey frogs made a home it in. They'd come out at night and climb up by the light to hunt bugs. Be sure I will have the plant there again, plus its big sister nearby. The big one spent last summer growing, and has had about a dozen blooms over winter.
Not sure what I will overwinter next year after they both grow again Maybe I will split off some babies of the medium, before I get her potted for summer. The new little rosettes made a neat small plant in its own right.

TYVM, Christine!

Sally, so sweet! If you are able to get a pic later, I'd love to see your frogs!!

These plants do keep multiplying. I got both B. nutans and 'Foster's Striate' in trade a few yrs ago & have started sharing extra already. ;)

These blooms are forming FAST!

Of course, we has to pick them up. Funny how they change from green to grey

Awwww, so sweet!!!!

Queen Mother and 'princesses'



It was hard to weed out any of my many frog pics

Queen Mother and 'princesses'



It was hard to weed out any of my many frog pics

So cute! Some kind of surprisingly small frog was trying to keep us awake last night. He was on a windowsill on the outside, not in a Billbergia. LOL!

This is happening!

Luckily I have more of these inside. The flowers happen SO fast & the blooms on these 2 individuals were beyond their prime when I had a chance to get into greenhouse Monday. When I had time to take pics yesterday, it was hardly worth doing, but I wanted to recognize how early these blooms happened this year, but I think this is only my 3rd year getting blooms, so it's not much of a history yet.

Queen's tears already bloomed, I think all of the ones that will this season.

Are any others seeing early blooming on these this year?

I have the B. windii aka Angels Tears and it always blooms this time of year.

Have you noticed what time of year your Queens Tears have bloomed in the past?

Thinking they call yours Queens Tears because the Queen will cry when she sees she missed those pretty blooms.

LOL! I would never think of myself as a queen amid all the time @ work, laundry, cooking, general mundane-ness, but I did wonder about the origin of that nickname.

Looking back @ my pics, I've usually seen B. nutans blooms in Feb. and 'Foster's Striate' in April. I don't think I have B. windii. The pics of it in the database are gorgeous! And the dates on them range all through the year.

Maybe the question about early or late blooms is not even a valid one.

There is nothing about your life that suggests mundane-ness. You live amongst the exotic tropical plants and commune with plant life on their level. Of course, the Queen can shed tears now and again.

Wondering if the database photos are added when in bloom or rather when we get a chance to post them.

On the blooms I've notice some broms seem to have a set schedule, some are a bit more erratic. My favorites are the ones that are long lasting. The fast bloomers do make me rather sad.
Thanks much for the acorns dear. That is so sweet.

I've had queens tears for 4- 5 years, as it grew, I divided to get smaller pots, and let some grow big. A big one or two go on the deck for summer, for the frogs. My plan for now is to keep starting a small one to grow up, and let the biggest, heaviest go over winter. Anyhoo, it seems like I have had blooms over winter and over summer, sort of randomly.
You all probably know about the dripping nectar (tears?)

I might get the next clearance Aechmea or other bigger Bromeliad I see on the clearance rack and see if it's as faithful as QT.

Interesting! I love a plant that just blooms whenever it feels like it as much as one that blooms reliably at some time!

Kristi, TYVM! The date the pic was taken (or last edited) is the one the database uses when uploading, by default, and can be edited.

Sally, no I don't know and need to hear more about the nectar thing, please!

The flowers make tiny clear nectar droplets. You might notice a few sticky spots under the plant after it blooms. It doesn't bother me at all when outside, but if the plant is in, some people might want to know that, so it doesn't drip on furniture.(But I suspect, most people who have a plant like this, don't care about fancy furniture..)

Here's a youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

The one I grow has much wider leaves and drooping bloomspikes

Fascinating! TYVM! I have never noticed this. More buds are forming, I'll pay more attention to the next blooms if I can get to them at the time. Plants are locked away in greenhouse again until next weekend.

This is forming on an inside individual.

yay!

B. nutans blooms happen so fast! I missed the first one here, it's already faded but the one @ the bottom was at its' peak when I noticed it.