I think it might be pandanus, not bromeliad.

No, it's def a bromeliad. Probably Neoregelia?

My mistake ... compared to internet pictures, it looks like Neoregelia Raphael.

raxidor, you may be right. There are hundreds of cultivars and hybrids of Neoregelia, so I know there is no way to know for sure. And they are changeable depending on the season, how close to bloom they are, and how much sun they get.

Another one that looks very similar is Aechmea 'Mend'.

http://www.excelsagardens.com/.../2014/12/Aechmea-mend.jpg

Bob, many thanks for your comprehensive response! You've had one since 1976? That's really long-term. You must separate all the pups and grow on?

By 'scurfy' do you mean, whitish and slighly scaley undersides (glaucous)? Yes, it does show that. Do neos tend to have no scales on the leaf backs?

And the leaf tips, which don't show in the pic, are more pointed and not as blunt (as a typical neo).

Like I said, I just bought this and so I take no credit for the pink coloration, but I hope to get this outdoors in dappled shade for the summer -- eventually moving to a bit sunnier spot. Until the weather warms it is sitting in a sunny western exposure. It has two pups coming up.

Thanks again!

Dave - yes, I've kept Mend for years. The biggest mistake we used to make was separating the pups too small. That really sets them back and they take a while to get going again. Generally, wait until they are 1/4 the size of the parents before you separate them. You can use the pink in the leaves of your Mend to judge the light needs. If it's pink, you're probably doing well. When the edges are all white, it's in lower light and probably needs more, if possible. More light will give a bronze look to the leaf center as opposed to all green. The species grows quite large, but I have always found them to mature and bloom smaller in pots. Hope you have a great growing season. Bob

Just wanted to mention that my Aechmea 'Mend' had some berries on it this summer. A few of them had seeds and just for kicks I started them in some sterile medium in a pot within a baggie. I now have 5 small little seedlings developing. These seeds sure sprouted quickly... Maybe within a week or so. I know it's a LOT easier to just separate pups, but I was very curious if I could start some from seed. Will post pics when they get bigger.

Dave - good luck with the seeds. I haven't taken the time to grow any for years. I started some seeds from Mend when it first bloomed, hoping for some variegated ones, but got all green ones instead. Hope they do well for you! Bob

Hi everyone.

Bob - A few years ago I was given some seed from Aechmea MEND (You may like to read about the interesting history at: \[http://registry.bsi.org/?genus=AECHMEA&id=359#359](http://registry.bsi.org/?genus=AECHMEA&id=359#359) )

Anyway, I planted them and the germination rate was fantastic (I think almost every seed germinated). I kept about 50 and as they grew the leaf colours changed, some remained a "dirty green" colour, some were a "washed out bronze" and some were a "dirty pinkish" colour.

They grew rather quickly and as they did some of the ones with the "dirty pink" coloured foliage started to show some beautiful red colouring towards the centres which gradually started to spread outward.
I needn't tell you how excited I was, and though "I'd cracked it", some new champions in the making.

However a couple of weeks later my elation turned to disappointment when I touched one and the centre dropped over, yes all the red colouring was due to rot.
I had difficulty working out what had gone wrong as all of the rotted ones were hanging on the same row at the top of a mesh frame.

They were beneath shade cloth and I had hung them there to make more light available but what I had forgotten was the two days of extreme heat we had in the January with temps in the high 40 degrees C.

It seems that the water in he centres had got so hot it scalded the new central growth and caused it to rot.
As each plant died (or at least I thought it did) they put out a little pup from each side, and they continued to grow and eventually reached maturity, but remained that same dirty pinkish colour.

I've since been told by "the experts" that you wont get variegated offspring from Ae MEND.

Below is a link to a picture of the "dirty pink" seedlings I'm speaking about

http://i512.photobucket.com/albums/t329/splinter1804/Bromeliad%20Seedlings/Seedlings022.jpg)

All the best, Nev.

Great pictures and thanks for the links! Sorry to hear about the seedlings and the rot. That would be really disappointing. I also have the centrally-variegated plant of Mend, but instead of white blushing pink, the centers are more yellow blushing orange and pink. It's called Alvarez. At it's best it's beautiful, too. Bob

Hi everyone.

That's a great looking plant Bob, I love the orange cast and find it even more attractive than the usual coloured Alvarez that I have.

I was very disappointed with those seedlings at the time but since then have found there are also good surprises to be had from growing brom seed as well as the occasional bad one, so it all evens out in the end.

All the best, Nev.

Congrat's, Dave. And yes, keep us informed of your progress.

tj

Hmm. don 't think I'd mind the dirty pink ones. I wonder what they would look like with more sun? And really like the centrally-variegated one.

Hi everyone.

Dave - Those plants were eventually planted in the open garden with good light and they changed more toward a bronze colour . Also they all had the same coloured flower as the MEND.

All the best, Nev

All, here are the little Aechmea 'MEND' seedlings. Five in all. Cute little things.

Thanks for posting...hope they grow fast for you!

Thanks for the update. Happy growing.

tj

Thanks all! Anyone know if Neos are as easy to grow from seed?

Dave - Neos are about as easy as Aechmeas to grow from seed. I still have one plant that blushes almost solid red from a batch of neo seeds from the BSI seed bank. My wife still laughs...the seeds were sent in a piece of folded paper. I opened the paper and it suddenly flexed and flipped all the seeds into the carpet. I got on my hands and knees and picked about 25 seeds out of the carpet and we grew them on. The big difference is harvesting them. Unlike Aechmeas, with seeds out on a stem, you get to pull the seed pods out of the muck in the middle of a neo. Good luck!

Thanks HoosierBob. I don't currently have any Neos, but really like the coloration. Can they take a bit more cool temps than Aechmeas? Like say, in the low 50s upper 40s?

I grow in Indiana and keep all my broms at 55 or above since they have to come inside for the winter. We need some input from some Southern growers here. I don't think they will like extended periods of weather in the 40's. Neos almost always hold water and cold water in the cups can make them rot sometimes. They can take it right down almost to freezing on occasion, but the longer the cold spell, the harder it is on them. They often have blooming neos at Lowe's and Walmart, etc. You might start with an inexpensive one and try it out. Maybe somebody else will chime in here.

"Can they take a bit more cool temps than Aechmeas?"

I have exposed both Neos and Aechs to temps in the upper 30s without issue. I will, however, keep their cups a bit on the dry-ish side as fall approaches if they are still outside.

tj

Here's an update on my little seedlings from Aechmea 'Mend'. I wonder if I still need to keep these in the baggie. Maybe I'll just open up the top a bit to encourage a bit more air circulation. The largest seedlings are about 2.5 - 3 inches across now. I'll divide them up next spring prior to them going outside.

Looking good, Dave! I might open the plastic a bit, but this time of year, with the furnace running all the time, I wouldn't immediately expose them to the low humidity. I'd wait until spring when the furnace isn't running all the time to gradually remove the plastic. Looks like they're in pretty good light...they don't look lanky at all.

Thanks Hoosier Bob. They are under fluor. lights for about 14 hrs a day. And I give them a mist every once in a while of water with a tad bit of fert. in it -- but a very weak concentration.

Hi everyone.

Dave - I have no experience with growing under lights or in a centrally heated environment as fortunately we don't need to do this here where I live.

All I can do is comment on the appearance of your plants and I must say they look good and and healthy and compare most favourably with the ones I grew outside here in Australia some years back.

Keep up the good work; only about four years to go now until you see the flowers.

All the best, Nev.

Hah! Only four years! I know, I know.

But these will go outside in summer. Our summers are warm and humid and generally broms love it! Just hang a basket on a limb of a tree.

As long as we protect them from cold nights in early spring and late fall.

Aechmea seedlings as of august 2016. They are just hanging out under a live oak tree loving all the heat and humidity. These are not quite a year old and are already about 12 inches wide each. They are pure green, but still kind of neat.

Now those look really happy. Nice job and thanks for the update.

tj

Hi everyone.

Dave - Your seedlings continue to thrive and are looking better each time you show them. Growing any plant from seed gives a lot of satisfaction, but growing the less common ones is even better.

I was once told by a well known succesful bromeliad grower that you can't call yourself a "true brom. grower" until you have grown a few brom's from seed to maturity".

I don't think anything's more rewarding than seeing plants grow that you've planted as seed and grown, and the experience you gain along the way is invaluable.

Keep up the good work, they're looking good.

All the best, Nev.

Nev, thanks for your comments. You always have good things to say and are always upbeat and positive. You are a valuable contributor on this forum.

Cheers!

Updated photo of seed-grown broms. These are a bit less than a year old now. I could probably give them more light than they are getting.

Hi everyone.

Dave - Your seedlings are looking pretty good to me; perhaps a little extra light wouldn't hurt but remember to increase it gradually.

If the light is insufficient the leaves would be thinner, and longer than they are due to searching for more light. However more light (within an excepted range) will help to make them stronger and increase the chances of flowers. If the leaves appear to be "bleaching", the light is too great.

All the best, Nev.

Lookin' good, Dave. Have you been fertilizing these regularly? They seem to be developing pretty quickly! Very healthy plants.

Thanks Nev. Bob, I spray once in a while with a foliar fertilizer, but not very often. Perhaps they get some bird droppings in the tree!