Hi Jaga

What about A luedemanniana Alvarez? To bring out that orangey/pink colour, give it as much sun as it can handle - which is quite a lot here in Cape Town. Almost full afternoon sun! The pink on this one is a bit more orange than on Mend.

Japie

And this is what mine looks like:

{{gwi:501523}}

Thanks Japie, looks like you are correct. We'll whack it in a sunny spot. Good luck with the rugby (can't believe I said that) - ouch, ouch ,ouch! You gotta laugh, we've still got bromeliads - they don't chock !

With so many international forum members these days I'm almost afraid to mention that England beat Australia on Saturday. But I know the Kiwis will be hoping they beat the h... out of France next week! What a weekend, rugby and broms. (See later posting)

Hi Jaga,
I agree with Japie that your aechmea is likely lueddemanniana cv. 'Alvarez'. I have also seen it labeled (incorrectly?) 'medio-picta'. I also grow mine in fairly strong light. Like all varieties/cultivars of Ae. lueddemanniana, they are good rooters (!), so also grow well in trees. I also have an aechmea labeled lueddemanniana 'Rodco', which is variegated as well, but more pink than orange.
Here is a photo of my 'Alvarez'. The berries change from white, to light mauve, to a deeper mauve - very pretty.
{{gwi:501524}}
and a pup from the same plant
{{gwi:501527}}

Lucky for me, I am not interested in "thugby" (nor rugby!), so no international rivalry from me. Dare I say, may the best team win?

Jaga, I forgot to comment on the photo you posted, in the home extravaganza, of your many trees on which to grow broms. Many great trunks there! And when your new house is built, what a great view of your epiphytic garden!

Cheers, Kerry.

Thanks for the photos Kerry & Japie. Now we look forward to it growing - looks like a lovely plant with nice flowers. We are so over thugby now :

Kerry, please show us your Rodco! It should be an albo-marginated plant, like Mend, but the colours is supposed to be more intense when grown in good light! That is the one of the three that I'd most rather have, but cannot find it!

Japie

Japie, you are right! Rodco is supposed to be albo-marginated rather than variegated, according to my 'bromeliad bible' - that is, the fcbs photo index site. The aechmea I bought several years ago as 'Rodco' is variegated - so maybe it is really 'Alvarez'? There seems little difference, except my supposed 'Rodco' does look more lolly-pink, and my supposed 'Alvarez' is more coral-pink. Could be a light factor.

Here is my supposed Aechmea 'Rodco' - photo taken a few years ago.
{{gwi:501529}}

And here is a photo of one of my favourites - Ae. 'MEND'
{{gwi:501532}}

Jaga, see the actual flowers of Rodco/Alvarez, like Mend, are small and 'nothing to write home about', whereas the enlarged, pearl-like berries certainly are!

So I'm disappointed I don't have the real Rodco. Like you, Japie, it's now on my wish list.

Cheers,
Kerry

Japie sometimes a plant can throw variegated pups even if it is albo. That is why the registry now make sthe not if the plant throws a varigated plant..it will still be named the same