What are the easiest bromeliads to grow in ground and on rocks.

[Palm crazy]

Gonzer I have a bromeliad question for you or anyone else. Which is easier to take care of a terrestrial bromeliad or epiphytic tillandsia?

I’ve already killed one Tillandsia with not letting the plant dry out before placing back in a rock with holes.

Here’s a pic of the rock but the one tillandsia that died was whitish with lots of think leaves.

[Pedro 65]

Roger, I will let Greg/Gonzer answer your Q about Tills as Im not yet into them , but the 1 in the pic will "die" from drowning/rotting at base doesn't if the hole doesn't go right through the rock as it will "of course " act like a pool

Pete

[Gonzer]

Roger, that's a cool rock, but as a vessel for mounting Tillandsias the holes are a death-trap. Water collects and rots whatever you plant in there. Try gluing a Tillandsia(s) away from the holes and let the radiant heat work it's magic. Use a glue like E-6000 or Liquid Nails but don't glue directly on the base.

If that was my rock I'd probably insert fake eyeballs into the holes because, well, just because. It'd be unique that's fer shur.

[SubTropicRay]

Aechmea recurvata has been easy for me on larger stone gravel.

[Palm crazy]

Pete I’m just starting to get into Bromeliads and your right that rock is a death trap for these dry loving plants. LOL!

I lost another one T. Velutina bit the dust too, but so far T. Abdita is doing good.

Thanks Greg I was wondering what type of glue to use, BTW the rock (one of many) I have came from SoCal beaches. I was thinking of painting the rock but love the natural color so much I won’t.

Ray thanks for suggesting Aechmea recurvata, after doing some research there quite hardy and very drought tolerant so thats where I will start by new collection of bromeliads. I grew A. recurvata ‘ big mama’ many years ago and they bloomed every summer and lasted about 8 years in the ground back in the early 2000 when we had six years a row at 9b. This time I will grow them in pots.

Dyckias are also on my bromeliads list too.

Thanks Guys! Really appreciate the help.

Edited June 24, 2015 by Palm crazy

[edric]

If your in a greenhouse of sorts (indoors), I'll bet you need more ventilation, try a small shaded pole blower (squirrel cage fan) mounted in the corner of the room, blowing the air around in circles, Ed

[Palm crazy]

Thanks Edric, these are outside, but do have a fan inside. Inside I had them hanging off the sheer drapes, LOL, they did good there. But its summer so now here on the back porch that is east facing. They get early morning sun and some evening sun. I was giving them way to much attention with the watering. Now I know just to leave them alone. Thanks!

[Spud]

Gday all new to this forum and just want to add my comment about a easiest bromeliad to grow and I reckon

this would have to be the Queen Tears Bromeliad (billbergia nutans) Ive grown these on rocks, sandy beach

soil, and have even treated them fairly bad at time with lack of water and they just keep growing and

multiplying ive attached a picture of what they look like not my picture of mine as mine are just flowering

now

[Palm crazy]

Gday all new to this forum and just want to add my comment about a easiest bromeliad to grow and I reckon

this would have to be the Queen Tears Bromeliad (billbergia nutans) Ive grown these on rocks, sandy beach

soil, and have even treated them fairly bad at time with lack of water and they just keep growing and

multiplying ive attached a picture of what they look like not my picture of mine as mine are just flowering

now

queen tears.png

That one is for sure on my list, now do I go with the green leaf one or the variegated one. Welcome to the board Spud.

Edited June 27, 2015 by Palm crazy

[cycadjungle]

By far, the Dyckias are the best and easiest to grow for terrestrial bromeliads. They don't die after they flower and a single plant can live 100 years. That take short duration freezes here down to 18f with no problem and went through 15 with minimal damage. I have a few thousand of them. If they weren't easy to take care of, I would have killed them already.

[Palm crazy]

By far, the Dyckias are the best and easiest to grow for terrestrial bromeliads. They don't die after they flower and a single plant can live 100 years. That take short duration freezes here down to 18f with no problem and went through 15 with minimal damage. I have a few thousand of them. If they weren't easy to take care of, I would have killed them already.

So true for me too. LOL! I had mine under some tall cordylines that were multi-trunking that helped keep them dry in winter and protected. 100 years, wow thats a long time, I better get started.

[cycadjungle]

Compared to what I mainly deal with, 100 years is a short period off time. The shorter lived cycads are around 75-100 years. I guess I do have at least 10 cycads here that are at least 100 years old,and one that could be a good 300 years old. Keep in mind these plants cluster, so in Brazil there could be big clusters that were started 1000+ years ago by seed. I really love these plants, and now have been breeding my own hybrids, with parents like D. goehringii as a pollen donor, and Arizona, Snaggletooth,Silverback, and D. beateae as seed plants. I also put goehrigii pollen on my best landscape type, Black Moon to make a huge, black landscape sized plant with huge whitish hooks. Those are still small though, but I do have about 800 to pick through to find a superior plant. I guess there are many long lived plants, I remember an old sucked that showed a Serenoa repens here in Florida that they estimated to be 175,000 years old.

[cycadjungle]

No big rush, they may be long lived, but they usually start flowering in 3 years. Compared to what I mainly deal with, 100 years is a short period off time. The shorter lived cycads are around 75-100 years. I guess I do have at least 10 cycads here that are at least 100 years old,and one that could be a good 300 years old. Keep in mind these plants cluster, so in Brazil there could be big clusters that were started 1000+ years ago by seed. I really love these plants, and now have been breeding my own hybrids, with parents like D. goehringii as a pollen donor, and Arizona, Snaggletooth,Silverback, and D. beateae as seed plants. I also put goehrigii pollen on my best landscape type, Black Moon to make a huge, black landscape sized plant with huge whitish hooks. Those are still small though, but I do have about 800 to pick through to find a superior plant. I guess there are many long lived plants, I remember an old article that showed a Serenoa repens here in Florida that they estimated to be 175,000 years old. Sorry for the repeat, but it wouldn't let me edit my mistake and additions.

[Palm crazy]

WOW! Thats fantastic Tom! In the last decade I’ve seen a lot of nice photos coming from the south east with agaves. I guess the more tropical ones do better in FL. Really interesting plants you created. Good Job!

[Palm crazy]

Yeah some of those Dyckia’s hybrids can look pretty prehistoric, I do like the ones with white teeth. I could see them growing as a ground cover for cycads. If you have any pic you like to share, post them at your leaser, or not. Thanks for sharing.

Edited June 28, 2015 by Palm crazy

[cycadjungle]

I can do that.

[cycadjungle]

Wow, it has been longer than I thought. Peppers have kept me busy this year. Alright, a few collector type Dyckias.

I am attracted to the ones that are red in the middle of the leaf and have white spines for contrast. I also like spiny plants since I already like cycads. First of all, here is a named type that has the characteristics I am looking for in breeding. This is " Heaven and Hell.

[cycadjungle]

Here is one that I used to make many of my one of a kind seedlings and hybrids. This is Snaggletooth.

[cycadjungle]

This is a species called Dyckia goehringii. Instead of spines, it has big hooks on it. I used pollen from this plant for many of my crosses.

[cycadjungle]

I made 400 plants that were Snaggletooth X Dyckia goehringii, but this was the closest to what I was trying to make. I would have liked to see more red in it. To give you a perspective, this plant is 20 inches across.

[cycadjungle]

This is one I made that is a snaggletooth self pollinated.

[cycadjungle]

Here is another one.

[cycadjungle]

Just to show you a few, here are the first 200, one of a kind seedlings.

[cycadjungle]

Here are a few more. This is one of my Arizona F3s.

[cycadjungle]

This is one of the small ones. Brittle Star F3.

[cycadjungle]

This is another of my snaggletooth X goehringiis that still have huge white spines on red leaves but I think the other one looks better.

[cycadjungle]

Mulford Foster lived in Orlando and was very big with plants and has various species named after him. He died a few years ago and some people were able to buy some of his plants. This plant came from offset, from what Mr. Foster considered to be Dyckia fosteriana. So this is Mr Foster's, fosteriana

[cycadjungle]

Last one for now.

Here is another fosteriana I found that had some red in it and makes the white spines stand out.

[Palm crazy]

WOW Cycadjungle those look awesome. Thats the type I like the best too. Red leaves with white teeth. Thanks for posting them they all look really cool. Dycikia have really become popular and the new hybrids are all really exotic looking, pricy but well worth it!

[Geoff]

Deuterocohnias grow great over rocks:

D brevifolia

D lorentziana

D longipetala

D lottae

[Palm crazy]

Deuterocohnias grow great over rocks:

D brevifolia

Deuterocohnia colony H flowering March.jpg

D lorentziana

Deuterocohnia lorentziana shade.jpg

D longipetala

Deuterocohnia longipetala flwr May.JPG

D lottae

Deuterocohnia lottae H.jpg

Thats an interesting plant I’ve seen it for sale in Oregon and it popular in hot areas of the state, I may have to try one next year. Thanks for posting Geoff.

[amazondk]

Southeastern Brazil is bromeliad paradise. Who knows how long the colonies of bromeliads on the rocky mountains of Rio have been growing.

[Gonzer]

Deuterocohnias are not the fastest by any means but for sheer symetry with rocks they're hard to beat as Geoff posted in his pics

[Palm crazy]

Deuterocohnias are not the fastest by any means but for sheer symetry with rocks they're hard to beat as Geoff posted in his pics

It’s an awesome plant the way it grows I think it might be to tender for me to grow outside. I see them in the house plant section in nursery here from time to time.

Hey I have some bromeliads that I’ll take pic tomorrow and see if anyone can ID them. Should be easy.

[Palm crazy]

Did a plant trade with another gardener and I got bromeliads in return.

First two are Billbergia nutans and B. nutans variegated.

[Palm crazy]

This one I have no idea, any guess’s?

[/u

RL]

Edited August 6, 2015 by Palm crazy

[Palm crazy]

Last one I like an ID please.

Thanks!

[Palm crazy]

I decided to plant the bromeliads in containers that hang on trees and a few in the ground.

B. nutans variegated

Some in the ground.

[Palm crazy]

Billbergia nutans same thing.

Extra one I made out of the spare pieces, will use for trading.

The unknown dignified bromeliad is hanging off the tree fern.

Edited August 16, 2015 by Palm crazy