I've never tried growing bromeliads. My garden is very sunny and dry, so I always think they are going to die on me. Keep us posted.

Omar

At first I used to kill bromeliads mainly through overwatering, but I've had billbergia nutans for a few years now and it's done so well and seems very easy to care for. The Billbergia Kyoto was a little more intimidating especially when I lost one of the plants. Thankfully the offset took its place and now it's grown large and produced another offset. I have three large cedar trees that shade part of my yard, so all of my houseplants are under them. Have you tried Dyckias? I think they're more tolerant of sun and dry soil. Someone sent me one a couple of years ago and it's producing an offset. I have it in a mix of gravel, a little sand, a little decomposed granite, and pine bark fines, so it's really well draining.

I got a Achmea gamosepala a year ago from Eric. It still has not bloomed but it has made a pup and both are growing very nicely. I have an unstoppable large formed B. nutans that bloomes up a storm in February. It blooms when it is still in its winter place. I think I had aver 30 blooms on it this year. I have the purple hardy terrestrial bromeliad from Ragna that we are still wa. AND , I got this Bilbergia X windii that I got from Bluegirl. TODAY, the windii is my favorite because IT IS BLOOMING up a storm with 14 huge long dangling blooms. I have shown this plant every year because it gets better and better and it just fills my heart to busting every year. It put out three blooms earlier this summer and I was a little disappointed with the show. I was wonder this was peggy Lee type showing . You know, "Is this all there is" . and then a month later 14 stabbing pink things poking out of the greenery. I have never had that many blooms on this plant.... So the answers is NO, It's not all there is.

Cameron, Dickyas are cool plants but they look too thorny to me.

Omar

Wow that is truly amazing Mara! I can't believe your nutans had over 30 blooms. Mine probably had 10 at most. I had to move it to a larger pot so it would develop more pups. The windii one looks amazing too, I can see why it's your favorite.

Omar you're right about the thorns. Mine constantly pokes me when I'm moving it around. What about Earth Stars? They're toothy but the teeth are small. I think they like drier conditions but I'm not sure about the amount of sun they can take.

Here's my small collection.

I got another one today, Aechmea distichantha.

I think I am going to try to divide that big monster of a bromeliad this summer as soon as these flowers abate. That pot is getting over stuffed.. I bet getting it out of that pot is going to be interesting.

Good luck Mara. I could only imagine getting a large bromeliad like that out of a pot. When I reported my nutans, that was a chore and it was much smaller. I had it in a clay pot so I had to break the pot to get it out.

The pot is a styrofoam one so theoretically I could take the sawzall to the pot and all. I would like to save the pot because it has some insulation to it and it fits into a a larger tall standing pot, that I rotate pots into, perfectly. Chopping it though would make it easier ,...Last resort.

Wow I've never had a Styrofoam pot before. Hopefully you can save the pot when you're removing the bromeliad?

They were popular a few years back.I have never bought one. I always thought they were kind of ugly and a cheat but this one is hidden under the leaves and looks like terra cotta. I got given a couple at some swap. I use one to cover over a garden spigot during freezes that comes straight out of the ground. It is perfect for that. I guess if I cut it , I could glue it back together with contact cement. I fought that would work that well against a pot bound root treasure but then I could look at it as a self destructing pot that would tell me when to re pot a plant by falling into two peices.. A "smart pot"

That's interesting. Now that I think about it, I think I remember a Styrofoam pot on another garden forum. That's neat that you could glue it back with contact cement.

I have no idea how well the glue will hold. 3M might have a specialized contact cement for it. I am just barking up a tree.

I've never heard of contact cement so I learned something new.

I got this one yesterday, Aechmea fasciata.

Wow that's amazing! I'm so glad you won the battle, hopefully you weren't wounded in the process? That's one huge plant!