Hi everyone - I was wondering if anyone here grows Nidulariums.

Nidulariums come from the same Bromelioideae family as Neoregelias but aren't nearly as commonly grown. They are a very interesting plant and although most of the interest is in the flowers, some have nicely marked foliage as well.

They will grow under similar conditions to Neoregelias, but their big advantage is that they will also grow and flower in low light areas where Neoregelias won't get good colour, and this is an added bonus. Although the flowers are relatively short lived, the bracts stay in colour for many months and are the main attraction.

Because the flowers are located in a group around the central bracts, these plants sometimes have the common name of "Bird nest plants" with the bracts representing the bird's nest and the flower buds representing the eggs (See picture 5).

For your enjoyment I'm posting a few random pictures of some of the Nidulariums I have in my collection.

All the best, Nev.