That is odd if the plant is QT. They usually bloom several times a year when naturalized in one place and not moved.

Do you think I should try and add some of my left over orchid mix?

Do you have a photo of the plant?

this is the plant.

I like how it seems the bands of color become more prominate as the plant gets older.

I don't know why it posted sideways. The Aechmea fasciata is dead on it looks except for the leaves. Do they get trimmed back?

I don't know why it posted sideways. The Aechmea fasciata is dead on it looks except for the leaves. Do they get trimmed back?

susang - I have to agree with HDD your plant definitely isn't Bill. nutans (Queens Tears). It looks to me like Aechmea fasciata that's been grown in insufficient light, hence the long thin leaves.

To see what Bill nutans (Queens Tears) looks like, go to the FCBS Photo index and look under Billbergia species.

The pic attached shows Aechmea fasciata growing in good light in my garden.

All the best, Nev.

Here are Aechmea faciata with less light than splinters but a bit more light than yours. Summers on the south side of a west facing porch and are in an east facing window in winter. I'm about 43 degrees North latitude.

{{gwi:444782}}

tj

Look who finally decided to bloom.

Obviously it's a Billbergia after all, though I wouldn't try to guess which one.

Close-up of the flowers themselves? The bract looks a lot like that on my quesnalia marmorata, but the flowers themselves look like they are different, and the foliage is banded rather than spotted.

You might repost with an i.d. question, since that's now what this is....

Congratulations on the bloom!

Hi everyone

Susan - Showing a picture of a flower makes all the difference.

I think your plant is Billbergia kuhlmannii. If you get onto the FCBS Photo Index and go to the species index I think you'll see this is your plant.

When you look closely at the flowers you will see they are different to the usual Billbergia flowers. These flowers are commonly referred to as âÂÂwatch springâ or âÂÂhelicoidâ because the petals are recoiled in a tight helicoid spiral (coiled several times like a watch spring) when the flower is fully open.

All the best, Nev.