Peat is not good, you may be over watering it. The leaning indicates a root issue. Did you look for a cut stem in the cup to see if it had flowered? If it hasn't, you'll need to check the roots and put it in a free draining mix. Perhaps a cactus mix.

tj

@tsugajunkie thanks for the info. When I went to repot the plant, it's clear that it was thoroughly rotted. The plant top fell out of the base and there was a hole through the whole thing. :(

All signs point to crown rot. I'd like to try again because I love how the Bromeliads look. I'll definitely use a cactus mix and water less this time. Any other tips for a perpetual plant murderer?

Hi everyone.

Kim - Judging by the pictures you've provided of your plant, I would say that it is beyond help and I'm sorry to hear of your bad luck; but don't blame yourself as it may not be your fault entirely. I'm not trying to lay blame on anyone or anything for the problem, I'm just merely pointing out some possibilities which may be the cause of the problem and which may have been overlooked.

Although you can do nothing to cure your plant, just learning how it may have happened will help you to know what to look for with future purchases.

Also, if you're interested I can share with you a short
article I wrote for our bromeliad society newsletter about "PRECAUTIONS TO OBSERVE WHEN ACQUIRING A
NEW BROMELIAD PLANT" but I won't hijack this post with it and and I can
post it in a different thread if required.

You say, "there was a hole through the whole thing"; this sets my "alarm bells" ringing because sometimes growers will try to produce more pups from a plant by a practice known as "screw drivering". This is done by forcing a screw driver or some other sharp similar type implement down through the centre of the plant to destroy the growing tip. This then activates the plant's reaction into producing more pups.

To understand this better, read a discussion which occurred on one of the bromeliad forums some time ago. See: http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/1758766/pupping-question - and go to the response from LisaCLV(HI). This explains what I'm saying in more detail.

It's just possible that this is what was done to your plant before you bought it and if not done correctly it may have started the rot. I say IF as it's a bit of a "long shot" but still a possiblity nevertheless.

Another possibility is if the plant had come into contact with water dripping from something made of copper or CCA treated timber (which contains copper), as copper is poisonous to bromeliads and will quickly cause rot.

These are both "long shots" though, and as @tsugajunkie mentions over watering, this might be closer to the cause of the problem as more plants are lost through over-watering than under-watering.

If you go to my comments in the recent post called "Question about Bromeliad Watering" (Oct. 19, 2017) this topic is explained in more detail.

All the best, Nev.

Can you tell us where you bought the plant? Was it a reputable nursery? or a Big Box store? Could the pot have been sitting in water over a period of time? Also, it could have gotten jostled in the store and had many roots broken off -- then over watered. You never know its prior 'history', so it may not have been anything that you did wrong.

My best guess is that's Vriesea Hieroglyphica, in which case you definitely want a well-draining medium. It's one of those "grey area" bromeliads that is found both on trees and on the ground in the wild. It will tolerate being potted, but it needs a well-aerated soil. They like it moist, but never so wet that rot becomes a problem.

In my experience, under-watered bromeliads or ones exposed to too much sun tend to turn brown or burn at the tips, not at the base. The plant will probably manage a few days if you give the center some time to dry out to stop the rot.

Some speculation, I've heard people say Vrieseas don't like hard water, that might be contributing.

I'm also pretty sure too much light isn't the problem. It actually might not be getting enough light (secondary issue), because the leaves are a very dark green compared to the pictures of Vriesea Hiroglyphica I have seen. That's typically a reaction to not having enough light.