Will it be left on your doorstep if you're not there, wulfgar, or will the PO just leave you a notice to pick it up? If it's not sitting in extreme weather conditions it'll be fine for at least a week. Just soak it in a tub of water for a couple of hours as soon as you unpack it and it will perk right up. P. alatisepala is a pretty tough plant.

Option A:
Stay home and wait for package, then deal with PO'd girlfriend.

Option B:
Ask a neighbor or a friend to take it in for you, go to see girlfriends parents, she's happy.

Option A.....forget about it!

I live in a dorm(guess i should have mentioned that) so at least it will be inside. God only knows what'll happen to it over a weekend in the campus mail system.

They're pretty strict about the mail system here. 2 forms of ID, SS#, birth certificate, blood test, fingerprint scan and so on until they are 100% sure the care package full the cookies and clean undies is going to the right person. So a neighbor picking it up is out.

Thanks for the help. Guess the plant gets to spend the weekend in the box and i get to spend it with the pseudoinlaws. Wonder who gets the better deal....

Well, you wouldn't want your plant to fall into the hands of terrorists, now would you? Or worse yet, someone who's waiting for clean underwear.....

Maybe you could send the Portea to visit the PILs while you crawl into the box. Sounds like it could be a win-win situation!

It's here it's here it's here!!!

Now i just have to wait an hour for the designated package pickup time so they dont release the attack dogs the second i walk up to the counter.

So did you go or not, wulfgar?

I went, and i made sure to leave as early as possible today.

While i've got you here...

Do you know any good sources for info on Portea care? I know general care for bromeliads but they all have their own little quirks.

Well, I grow them and I'm not aware of any particular quirks. Mine pretty much take care of themselves and bloom regularly, but then I have them outdoors in the tropics and not in a dorm room. It wouldn't have been my first choice as an indoor plant, as it likes a fair amount of light, but if you love it you'll just have to make it work. Maybe someone here has tried it under similar conditions.

Apparently there are several clones of it (and I just got a couple of new ones from Michael), but here's my original one:

{{gwi:451490}}

It will spend most of its time outside. I just had it sent here so my mom wouldn't wonder why some guy named Michael sent her a box of newspaper with a big purple plant in it. It will spend the winter in the dorm with me and summer out on the deck at home.

To be honest i would never have gotten a plant that doesnt do well in the conditions i can provide. But i fell in love with pictures of the blooms and leaves(some of which where of your plants, so if it dies i blame you). I just couldnt find any specific info on this genus so i figured id give it a try.

Uh oh. Don't blame me! I like Porteas, especially this one, but I don't tell them what to do. What part of the country is your mom's deck in?

Cincinnati OH

zone 6 i believe

It stays at a pretty even 70-80 over the summer.

Was going to ask this earlier but, for some reason i can't comprehend, you cant edit posts here. Is it a full sun brome?

The one in the pic is in full sun, but it also grows okay in my shadehouse, where it's getting 40-50% shade. Still pretty bright, though. The only Portea I can think of that can't take the sun is P. kermesina.