We picked this up at a Mercer sale a couple of months ago. It is settling in just fine. We often find mosquito larvae in the water so a few grains of insecticide or drops of oil have to be added as needed.
It will not survive a frost so must be protected on cool nights or brought in if you have it in a pot. Ours did not winter over. You may want to pop it up and bring it inside when the weather cools down.
It will grow to about 18″ across and send out offsets to form children when happy.
They prefer light shade to full shade. When placed in sunnier locations they grow more spread out, in darker locations they grow more upright.
Tiny purple flowers form in the center where there is water now. You might also find an occasional small frog, toad or lizard hanging out and getting a drink.
Bromeliads are epiphytes, which means they do not get nutrients from the soil. The roots they grow are to anchor them in place. They will feed a bit through roots if they have them, but the main source of food is through scales on the leaves.
See also
Bromeliad Biota has some interesting bromeliad information.
2 responses so far ↓
1 Julie // Aug 30, 2007 at 3:22 pm
I love the Mercer Sale but have not been there in years. :0(
2 admin // Jan 7, 2008 at 1:40 pm
Something keeps digging this plant up. It has a little cold damage from last weeks dips into the high 20’s. I think it was damaged more from losing its water. It was pulled up and tipped over by some critter.
I’ve replanted it.
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