Thanks, Debby. I always wonder... because if I was the grower, I would probably harvest pups before sending a plant out to the retailer (if I could)... so I can't blame them. On the other hand, as the end-buyer, I try to get what I can. :)

Carol

Hi everyone.

Carol - When we buy a plant, we do like to think we are
getting the entire plant and not one that has already had the pups removed,
however in the "real world" this often isn't the case especially
plants bought from markets.

It's not unusual for a plant to be in flower with a couple
of pups attached and more often than not these pups are removed and the plant
re-potted in fresh potting mix and sold at markets. The buyer is told the plant
has just been re-potted and they don’t have to worry about that for a couple of
years, which is probably a good sales pitch to the average market purchaser. However they aren’t told the pups have been
taken as well. It’s not against the law so I guess it’s just a case of buyer
beware and building trust between yourself and a reliable seller who does the
right thing.

You ask, “is there a way to know if pups have already been
taken?”; the only way is to clear around the base of the plant, or better still
take it from the pot and give it a good hose to see if there are any obvious
spots of raw tissue still visible where a pup has been recently removed and
that would have to be done at home as the seller wouldn't allow you
to do it before you buy it.

Absence of pups isn’t always a clue as a lot of brom’s don’t
start to pup until the flower is finished, so just because it doesn't have pups doesn't necessarily mean the pups have been removed.

My advice would be to only buy from
reputable growers or nurseries or from someone who has been recommended.
Unfortunately in most other cases , you buy your plant and take your chances.

All the best, Nev.

Nev, thanks! Like Debby, your comments are very helpful. The sales pitch you mention regarding recent repotting is exactly what I was thinking might be the case. Always an angle, isn't there, LOL?!

Good to know that the pupping often starts after the flowering. Point in our favor.

Sometimes I notice that one of the lowest leaves is spaced waaaaaay out from the rest of the plant and/or is floppy... I start thinking: was there a pup? Or is this just an old leaf giving up the ghost? Hmmm...

Thanks again for your comments!

Carol

I very often find pups on plants that are blooming, and I try to select those. It helps if there is a large inventory to choose from, but when that is not the case, I take my chances if I find a plant that I especially want. There are a lot of neoregelia that I buy for the leaves and do not pay much attention to the flowers.

I'm with you, Lars! With neos, it's all about the leaves! (Makes me think of the song All About That Bass.)