Wow! That Pink Spider is terrific! Do you know where he/she got it? I HAVE to pick this one up!

Hi Everyone.

Stan - Neoregelia 'Pink Spider' although not common, it's not what I'd call rare around here either, although it is a bit difficult to grow here as it likes it a bit warmer than our winters can provide.

You shouldn't have much trouble finding it at one of the larger reputable brom nurseries in your country such as Michael's or similar.

All the best, Nev.

been looking in places like that, so far nothing. Here in south Fla, i can grow everything. IF i can get my hands on it. So far this Pink Spider is only in Australia.

Splinter1804...i tried to figure out how to get your private email, to email you. But i had no luck. Do you know where your friend got that 'Pink Spider'? I have searched all over the internet. Even contacted growers in Australia.! They have so many rules on exports, forget about imports! Wow! Considering it was 'bred' in Aust. you would think they would have it.

So far no one has it, all the growers have never heard of it. Including Michaels. IF you talk to your friend, can you ask where he got it from...and or if he is up to a trade or sale of a pup??? Thank you.

Hi everyone.

Stan - I will ask my friend where he got his Pink Spider when I see him again, but as you say the Aust regulations on export are never ending and I think it would cost a fortune to export one to U.S.

Where did you see it was bred in Australia? Anywhere I've looked I can't see where it was bred; even in the BCR there's very little about it.

I suspected it was a US hybrid as the pictures on the BCR and in the FCBS Photo Index are from Tropiflora and the FCBS lists it as "Tropiflora Cat. 3/2004"

I would suggest you contact Tropiflora at:

https://www.google.com.au/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&rlz=1C1VFKB_enAU706AU706&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=tropiflora%20bromeliads 

Or phone: + 1 941 351 2267 and quote "Tropiflora Cat. 3/2004"

Good luck

All the best, Nev.

they dont have it, never heard of it. i THOUGHT i read it at that site you sent me a hotlink to. I must be mistaken.

Hi everyone.

Stan - You weren't mistaken; it was on the B.C.R. site I sent you the link for.

I missed it the first time I read the entry and it wasn't until I looked more carefully I noticed "Tropiflora Cat. 3/2004" written just above the first picture.

My interpretation of that is that the info was taken from the "Tropiflora catalogue of March 2004"

The search goes on and I'll keep you in touch.

All the best, Nev.

Hi everyone.

Stan - My friend says he bought his plant from the plant sales at the Australian Bromeliad Society show in Sydney a few years ago.

Maybe you could contact that society and see if they know where you could get it.

Try: http://www.bromeliad.org.au/

All the best, Nev.

wow.. thank you. after we find out if we are getting hit by a hurricane or a tropical storm or whatever '99L' is going to do, ill resume my search.

well it turns out that even Aust. doesnt have Pink Spider. And if they did, they cant export it. I found the guy in Aust. that the picture shown here, came from,it came from his collection, and he said it is difficult to grow, and even he doesnt have it anymore. The Red Spider, a close varity is as hard to grow/find. He doesnt have it either. So...thats that.

Now I am trying to find people that are growing Darth Vadar, to post pictures of their specimens, i started a new post about it. I posted a pic. of mine, and I keep being told that it isnt suppose to look like it does. It has never made the TIGHT Tube shape, that I always saw of it. Thats why I bought it, to get that shape. Well i get the color, pink spots, but not the shape.

Someone who at least read the post, sent a pic. of his plant, and it is more Tubular, but doesnt have the pink spots it is suppose to have. But he says it isnt suppose to have the spots. His doesnt.

Mine is more open shaped, and I was told, by people on here, that it is because of the chemicals in the water in south Fla. And to much fert., that a lot of people are not getting the tight tube shape, now that it is in wide release and being grown all over the country. Most people are getting the more open shape. Shaped more like one of its parents. But at least it is black, has stripes, and pink spots. But it doesnt have the tight tube shape. Anyone have pics. of their Darth Vadar?

Hi everyone.

Stan - From what I'm hearing from some of my brom growing friends up north, Neo 'Pin Spider' is still being grown in Queensland and I'm trying to get a couple of contacts for you.

The fact that its in Queensland and pretty rare down here could be the fact that it needs a warmer climate to grow well; something we can't provide down here.

This still doesn't alter the export difficulties though which are still a very big problem for the average grower, however if I can track down a professional bromeliad nursery, they may be able to cut through some of the red tape and make export a reality - Leave it with me.

All the best, Nev.

Hi everyone.

Stan - I've just been notified that your plant may be found at Bob and Lyn Hudson's nursery at the address below..

Bob and Lynn Hudson,

47 Boden Street,

EDGE HILL,

CAIRNS.

QUEENSLAND

AUSTRALIA

Phone: 07-4053-3913

Email: lynnie@ledanet.com.au

All the best, Nev.

But you told me that it is next to impossible to get a plant shipped out of Aust. Do they sell to people in the USA? Can they ship out of the country? You do mean the Pink Spider....right? Please let me know. I am sending an email to them right now, to the address you sent me. I will see if it goes to them or not. It sounds like a website, not an email address, but maybe thats because it is in Aust.??? I sent the email,it didnt come right back to me, so i assume it did go through.

JUST out of curiosity...how does your post office know if you ship out a plant? I mean, a bromeliad has no soil, it can be put in a box, wrapped in paper to protect it, it can make the trip, takes about a week? to get to the USA....they weigh next to nothing. How do they know it is a plant? Do they X-Ray EVERY package that goes out of the country? How do they know it isnt just a sweater, or a plastic toy or something? I mean do they open EVERY box? Or like I said, X-Ray them?

I get the idea they dont want to IMPORT plants, they might carry some pest you dont have there, but if your send a plant OUT of the country, why do they care SO much? Heck, WE already have the Zeika virus from mosquitoes,....it got here somehow, but a bromeliad can be sent practically bone dry, no soil, no water in/on it, and pest free, easily. And its not like your sending a deadly virus to us. I just dont understand how they know whats going OUT of your country..

Hi Stan - Just to clarify
a point I made about the difficulties in exporting plants from Australia; I was
referring to the average "back yard" grower not professional
nurseries who are conversant with all of this red tape and have the equipment
to fulfill any requirements as regards to treating plants prior to export.

I may be wrong, but
although the door seems shut to “importing”, I think in some circumstances it
may be possible to still export via these “selected nurseries”. In these
instances I refer to the nurseries who up until now have imported plants into
Australia and have the necessary quarantine arrangements with which to house
them to meet the AQIS requirements. I don’t have specific names of nurseries
but I know they do exist albeit in small numbers and I have heard but haven't confirmed that one is called:

The Olive Branch

232 Canvey Rd,

Ferny Grove

4053

Queensland

Australia

Phone 07-3351-1203 .

Website: https://www.google.com.au/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=the%20olive%20branch%20bromeliad%20nursery

Sorry but that’s all the
info I have so maybe you could try them.

As for your other question about how Australia Post could pick up on plants being exported from the country I imagine you're right with your assumptions (X-Ray and inspection), although they wouldn't open all packages for inspection only the suspect ones detected either by X-Ray or "sniffer dogs" - They may also have other methods but they haven't told me about them, Ha! Ha!

All the best, Nev.

thank yo for the info. i am waiting to hear from the people that you told me have this bromeliad, and see if they can/will sell it to me. So far, no reply.

Well my 'Morana' is already turning red in the center. I am watching for pups/stolens to start showing up. I'l take a few pics. over the weekend to show the difference in it already.

Hi everyone.

Stan - It makes a very interesting addition to your pic collection if you take progressive shots of an unusual plant as it changes colour and progresses to maturity and eventually flowers.

I'm sure we'd all like to see the results of you labour.

All the best, Nev.

Heres some pics of the coloring it is getting.