If they're both H. stellata then it's not a cross-pollination, Moe, unless you know you have 2 different clones of it. I've never known stellata to self, so I'm doubtful that hand pollinating it will up the odds any.

You can try it, though. I've never (successfully) worked with Hohs, but they're pretty much like Aechmeas and Porteas, so I would expect the same general behavior from them. Mid-morning pollination works best for just about everything in that branch of the family, and I would expect it to take 2 or 3 months to set seed.

Have seen seed set on stellatas many times . The flowering lasts many months , and it can be hard to see the berries on the spike .

Good to know, aroideana. Maybe it's just a question of the right pollinator. Do the berries change color when they're ripe?

Yes Lisa the berries go blue , just like many Aechmea spp. , they are more related than we think . Friend got seed set on H.correia-aroujoi once , and I have tried pollinating them may times .. no luck . The berry is really well hidden on them, and it was this I was thinking about when I mentioned them being hard to see , stellata has obvious berries , like some of the other species I have set seed on . H.antillana has distinctive blue berries , must share some seeds next time I have some .

H. stellata is one that we harvest for sale as a cut flower, so ours don't stay on the plant long enough to ever set seed. I know others that have it but I have never noticed any berries.

I've never noticed them on H. correia-araujoi or H. rosea either, but now that you mention H. antillana, aroideana, I checked FCBS and it turns out I have that plant. I got the seeds from a friend thinking they were some sort of Aechmea but never could find the species. Thanks for clearing up that mystery for me, and yes, it does have very nice blue berries!

Very interesting. Thank you for the info. The inflorescence is in full color, but the flowers have not begun to open yet. I'll let you know if Im successful

Lisa, you mentioned two different clones. Im pretty sure both of my blooming hohenbergias are sibling pups off the same mother plant. In hybriding different types of bromeliads, you dont have this problem, but do the bromeliad species have to be from different mother plants in order to accept one anothers pollen.

It depends on whether or not they are self-compatible, Moe. Some species self-pollinate easily, while others require outcrossing. I don't know which category H. stellata falls into.

All the pups from the same mother are genetically identical, so even though you're using pollen from two different inflorescences it's still considered self-pollination. Seedlings, on the other hand, are all genetically distinct even if they look essentially the same.

There is a clone in north Queensland , supposedly from Belgium .. it has much broader leaves . The large batch of seedlings I repotted several times from a selfing of this clone were very attractive plants . Some showed spotting and darker leaf tips . When the Trevors visited , Olive asked 'Why grow so many H.stellatas ?' silly question really when the main business is cut flowers .

I have a Hoenbergia Leopoldo Hostii could anyone tell me how tall it will grow

In full sun this species only gets a little over 30 cms Carol, in a shaded spot they will grow much larger but not look as dark .