The bromeliad, Guzmania lingulata 'Orangeade'

Having blooming plants in the house rejuvenates the ambiance of any room instantly!  I almost always have a bromeliad in my house. Their colorful bracts, which are often mistaken as its flower, are such a burst of joy. Their actual flowers are quite small blooms that you can see around the top of the bracts for a brief time. But the spiky bracts can last for a month or more.

After the bract dies back, the mother plant will live for about a year or so. Sometimes they live a lot longer but are not really expected to do that. It will produce young plants, called pups, from the base of the soil. You can separate the pups from the main plant  after they are a few inches high and plant them in 4" diameter pots until they are ready for a 6" diameter pot. They can bloom after they are about a year old. 

Not only are they are they among the largest of blooming houseplants, they are one of the easiest flowering plants to grow inside! These wondrous epiphytes are natives of the rainforest but propagated for sale in greenhouses. We are very fortunate to be able to appreciate their splendor in our own homes.

This Guzmania lingulata "orangeade" is fresh from the florist, Flowers and Plants Etc. To order floral arrangements or some houseplants almost anywhere in the world, click below:

  www.flowersplants.com .

Care Instructions---

• Bromeliads prefer bright indirect or some direct sun. Full afternoon sun would be too much. Near, or in, a north or east- facing window would be ideal.
• For plants in a 6" (15cm) diameter pot (which most of them are in): let the soil dry out about 1/2" below the media before giving a good soak. Up to 2 cups (or almost 1/2 liter) water should do, but make sure they do not sit in water for long. 
• Watering them thoroughly in the sink so that they get an even watering, the letting them drain for a bit is ideal.
• They appreciate humidity and a mist of water on their leaves daily would be appreciated.  It's not crucial, but they do like a touch of water to stay in their "cup" which is the center of the plant.
• Fertilize regularly. When repotting, they would do well with a blend of about 1/8 potting soil and 7/8 orchid bark..

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***To watch short video clips on plant care from my 90's TV series, click below:
  The Indoor Garden TV

©2014

The Amazing 10 year old Guzmania & More Good Info on Bromeliads

Exotic, unusual bromeliads! These tropicals, with their colorful and long lasting flowers make a smashing statement wherever they are placed. And they are very easy to care for.

The one pictured here is of the Guzmania genus. I bought this plant from a bromeliad catalog. It had lovely foliage of deep green, with a rich burgundy color emanating from its center. It lived with me for ten years before blooming! This is unusual as they generally bloom after they are a year old. Some plants just don't follow the horticultural rules that we are aware of today!

After blooming the mother plant will begin to die back and new "pups", as they are called in the trade, should begin to appear. After the pups are a few inches tall, the whole planting can be removed from its pot and the pups gently separated from the mother plant and planted into their own containers. I like to pot them in a mixture of 3/4 orchid bark and 1/4 potting soil.

The family Bromeliaceae was named after Olaf Bromelius, a horticultural explorer, in the 17th century. Bromeliads are mainly epiphytic plants, meaning that they grow in trees, although some are terrestrial plants, meaning that they grow in in the ground. The Cryptanthus genus, which is sometimes sold at garden centers, is an example of a terrestrial bromeliad.

The most popular bromeliads for home and office use are the Aechmea fasciata and several Guzmania species. Most of them are indigenous to Central and South America. The lush, silver-gray Spanish moss that flows from trees in the Southern United States is also a bromeliad. And so are those delicious pineapples that hail from Hawaii. Bromeliads are a very interesting family, indeed!

Care Instructions---

• Bright indirect light or some direct sun. Full afternoon sun is too strong.
• Let the soil dry out about 1/2" below the top of its media, then soak it well. Bromeliads tolerate drying out quite a bit. 
• You may find watering it in the sink and letting it drain for a few minutes, the best method for giving it a thorough soak.
• Keep water in the "cup" which is the center of the plant.
• A daily misting of water would be appreciated although they do adapt well to indoor humidity levels.  

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***For a variety of video clips on houseplant care from my 90's TV series now on YouTube:

 

The Indoor Garden TV show

 

 

©2010