Hi Gonzer, my guess is your plant needs a bit more light. Does it get any direct sunlight...?

Here are some photos of my little group.

This is where they grow, under an Australian frangipani. They receive direct sun in the morning, it comes in from the right, then the tree provides dappled light during the rest of the day.

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Here are a trio that seem to be in just the right spot, and showing good colour.

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These are in the same location, but just further back in the group, so miss some of that direct sun, & are in a little too much shade, hence the greener leaves around the base.

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Gonzer, I know you don't fertilize much, but is it in the ground where it might be sucking up some additional N, P & K?

The reason I ask is because in my experience Fosperior (and presumeably its cv. Perfection) has always been one of the least likely to loose its color in low light. Of course it is redder in bright light, but it seems like it would take a lot to make it go all green.

I knew I'd get the answer, thanks to both of you, Devo and Lisa. The lighting will have to be adjusted along with (it's potted Lisa) moving it out from below a couple of large Tillandsia clumps where the high N food they get sprayed with obviously drips down onto the leaves. Thanks a mil!

My experience with Perfection is, it looses its colour the moment it gets a hint of direct sunlight! The newer inner leaves retain the colour a bit but the older leaves start going green even in dappled sunlight. Another one which also drove me up the wall, is Kahala Dawn. So, those two are now in the shadiest spot in my garden and the new leaves come out nice and dark in colour and retain it. One that I still cannot not figure out is Imperfecta. On the BSI cultivar registry data is a remark that strong light fades the colour out, but I cannot get the plant to GET colour in lower light conditions!

Japie

Soooooo, are we saying low light? Doesn't that go against the practical theory of "more light, better color"? Will the faded leaves ever regain their color?

I had my plant in a greenhouse, with stable temperatures and fertigation. It was spectacular, red and black, the brightest of all the bromeliads of the bench. Then I took them outdoors in a place with cooler nights and no fertilizer (and more light). All bromeliads showed their colours, but the Perfection lost the "black" colour and turned to a boring red and red. It has never been a strong grower.

I see I should move them to lower light.

Carlo

variegated plants seem to defy the more light more color theory..the same with fertilizers..they need a regular feeding program to maintain color

It all depends on what you mean by "color". Generally speaking, more light equals more red-- at least up until the point where the sun actually starts to bleach it out. This point will vary from cv. to cv., and purples tend to bleach out more easily than reds.

More light does NOT mean stronger variegation, or stronger color contrast. Just the opposite, in fact. In a plant like 'Perfection', bright light will saturate both the variegated part and the background with red, and you'll loose the high contrast effect. On the other end of the spectrum, if you throw it into deep shade and fertilize the heck out of it you'll get more of a dark green and cream effect. Somewhere in between those two extremes seems best to me.