Thanks for that info! I was unaware of the existence of miniature neoregelia, but here are my two smallest ones:

The smaller one in the first photo (taken today) is about 4-1/2" diameter on the new plants, and about 7" diameter max on the mother plant. The one in bloom (taken Aug 21) is on average 7-1/2" diameter. Some of the old leaves eventually get a bit longer.

Not sure if these are miniatures, but that was not what I wanted when I bought them at Marina Garden Center, where I get a lot of my bromeliads. I bought them because they were less expensive than the larger ones, and I thought they would grow into the large plants that cost more. The small broms that they sell are all listed as "Neoregelia (Assorted)" with no other name. I've had them for over a year and they have had time to make pups but not grow into larger plants.

As you said, I will have to appreciate them for what they are, whatever that is. They are good about multiplying, and so they have that going for them.

I bought a new plant similar to your Strawberry Cream last week, but it is definitely not a miniature - at least the one that I bought is not.

Good things come in small packages.

Thanks for the pix.

tj

Hi everyone.

Lars – Base on the sizes you
provide, your first two plants are definitely classified as miniatures and are a couple of very nice looking examples. Unfortunately I can’t help you out with definite names but
the plant in your first picture looks very similar to, but not the same as the
one I posted previously called 'Reyenalla
Rebel' .

The plant in your second picture
is familiar to me also and could be one called Shamrock. You can see a pictures
for comparison below but don’t be dissuaded by the amount of spotting as this
is variable “plant to plant” as is the colour which also varies depending on
the amount of light it’s grown under. I’m
also posting a picture of my plant as well as one of another grower who planted
three pups taken from different areas of his property and planted them together
in the same basket to show just how varied this plant’s colour can be.

See also:
http://registry.bsi.org/?genus=NEOREGELIA&id=7032#7032

Neoregelia 'Shamrock'

Neoregelia 'Shamrock' - Pups taken from different growing areas

Miniature Neoregelias show their true
beauty when growing in a basket or suspended pot where they can either bunch up to make
a fantastic display or “spread their wings” and branch out in all directions.
Many of them grow on long stolons which make them even more of a feature and
these types can often reach out some distance from the original plant.

The other thing they have in
their favour is that they are easier and more resilient to grow than their
larger brothers and sisters. To give an example, a friend of mine recently
posted the picture below on another forum and she says, “This mini has been sitting on the ground for
a few years. I have just cleaned up the garden and lifted this up. No roots had
gone into the ground and the pot had long gone”. The accompanying picture shows
just what they can do with very little care.

Name unknown but possibly one of the many Neoregelia 'Fireball' hybrids.

In my previous post I gave what
the expected show standards are regarding size, but when we look at the
original species, these are mostly much smaller and many are tubular in shape
often with a span of less than a couple of inches.

Some grow very close
together to form a clump while others grow on stolons, which are the woody like
rhizomes that join one plant to another; some of which can reach up to six inches or more in length allowing the whole plant to spread a considerable distance from the
original plant, like the plant in the picture above.

Regarding size, there are also some
that are positively “tiny” by bromeliad standards and one of the smallest is
the species Neoregelia lilliputiana. To better demonstrate the size, the plant pictured below is growing in a 3” pot.

Neoregelia lilliputiana

The other thing that makes this
plant different to most other Neoregelias, is the flower size and the fact they stand well
clear of the central cup and are much larger in proportion to the size of the plant. This makes them readily accessible and popular with hybridisers which could explain why there are 124 of
its hybrids recorded on the B.C.R.

I’ll finish with some pictures
showing how these miniature Neoregelias look when allowed to grow into a large colony type plant
which hopefully will encourage more growers to try some of these little gems of
the bromeliad world.

Neoregelia 'Fireball' - (Note the long stolons) - This cultivar has a very interesting history, See:
http://registry.bsi.org/?genus=NEOREGELIA&id=4351#4351

Neoregelia 'Alley Cat'

Neoregelia 'Mini Skirt'

Neoregelia 'Fireball' hybrid

Unknown miniature hybrid showing the spreading habit made possible with stolons

All the best, Nev.

Hey. I love your 'Flirtation and Raspberry Cream'....any chance you like to swap a few pups,......maybe for pups off my Darth Vadar.. I posted some pics. of him today. I have a few other minis. One called 'Blueberry Muffin', that looks a lot like the plant in the second pic. that 'Lars' posted. Lemme Know. Stan

Hi everyone.

Stan - What a pity we're not neighbours as I have plenty of spare pups of the above plants, however living in Australia makes it too difficult to export to you.

All the best, Nev.

Great info and more great pix. Thanks again Nev.

tj

Some fantastic miniatures in an array of gorgeous colors Nev! Thanks for posting. Do you ever have mosquito issues there with all the water-filled vases around? Is there something you can spray in each one to kill the larvae?

In love with "mini skirt"

Hi everyone.

Dave - I personally don't have a problem with mosquitoes
breeding in the vases of my bromeliads as I occasionally spray with a natural
insecticide called Clensel and I think the repellent properties of the citronella
ingredient keep them away.

See: http://www.newapproach.com.au/?wpsc-product=clensel-insect-mite-killer-750ml

I also previously found the recipe below in a bromeliad
journal from the NZ Bromeliad Society, it was made up, used and shared around by
a (late) member of the society. Fortunately it can now be found on line

at: http://bsnz.org/articles/47-mosquitoes

As well as the above, it also cleans your brom’s and
makes them look clean and fresh and is a great product which is non-harmful to
other garden creatures.

I hope this is of help to you

All the best, Nev.

I see here in California the small Neo's are used more and more as groundcovers. I have a clump of potted Fireball I keep moving around and around..One spot in summer gets too hot,or in winter not enough light to keep them red. So,I move them. I like them red all year.