Easy Sun-Tolerant Bromeliads

[iDesign]

A forum member asked for advice on easy sun-tolerant bromeliads, so I thought I would create a new thread for it.  I'm not an "expert", but have been collecting & propagating bromeliads for several years now, and have some favorites. I'm going to focus here on the easy sun-tolerant ones, as shown in the following photos...

 

SUN-TOLERANT BROMELIADS

1) Aechmea Blanchetiana (and similar sun-tolerant Aechmeas)
The big orange bromeliad shown in several of the photos. LOVES sun and heat, and turns orange or even slightly red with the heat. The first photo is the only one that isn't from my yard. That one is from "Oceanwest Bromeliads" who specializes in this type. As you can see, they come in several colors. Orange & Yellow handle direct sun best. The more purple "Pinot Noir" is gorgeous, but doesn't handle direct sun quite as well. There's also the interesting-looking "red candle" variety with thinner spines. All are fabulous plants for a sunny spot.

2) Alcantarea Julietta
If you want a huge focal point bromeliad, get this one! It's shown in Photos #2, 5 & 6.  This one does need some space, but can be a beautiful focal point. This one is slower-growing than the Aechmeas, but lasts longer.

3) Neoregelia Fireball
The small red neoregelia ("neo") that I'm now sprinking everywhere throughout my yard... base of palms, corners of planters, etc. You seriously can't have too many Fireballs. Fireballs are shown in the right corner of photos 1 & 4. Also at the base of my chamaedorea costaricana in Photo #7, and at the base of my banana plants in Photo #8. Love those little guys.

----

PROPAGATING BROMELIADS

Propagating is half of the fun! Bromeliads propagate in three basic ways...

- By "Pups"
The Aechmeas often form small baby plants at their base. Leave these in place until they are 1/4-1/3 the size of the parent plant. Then cut it off. Ideally it has roots, but if not, just plunk it in the ground anyway and 9 times out of 10 it will grow in place.

- By "Grass Pups"
The Alcantarea Julietas form grass-like babies at the base. They're easy to mistake for weeds, so don't pull grass near the base if you think it might be attached. The ones in Photo #5 are getting a little older. Save some of the pups so you'll have younger ones to replace your parent plant when it eventually dies.

- By "Stolen"
The Fireballs propagate by sticking several "arms" and forming a bromeliad on each end. The parent fireball will eventually die and you just remove the dead leaves of the parent plant. If an area gets crowded, find one parent that has good roots and move it and any unrooted "pups" to a new spot (it's ok to break a section off if it has roots).

----

MISC NOTES:

- Unlike palms, bromeliads are super-easy to move around. I'm constantly moving my bromeliads from one spot in the yard to another, rearranging the groups, etc.

- They need well-draining soil. I use a mix of soil, perlite & small wood chips (orchid bark). Some people use straight wood bark, but I have trouble getting them to stand up in wood chips alone.

- Bromeliads are not "set and forget" plants. 2-4 times a year I walk through my garden, remove any "pups" that have reached 1/3 of the parent size (and plant them somewhere else), remove any dying parent plants (if I'm sure it's done making "pups"), and the yard looks refreshed and pretty when I'm done. It's not difficult to do as the bromeliads have very little roots (I can usually pull them out without even using a trowel). 

- If you are in a rental, consider taking your bromeliads with you when you move (since the next renter likely won't maintenance them). Replace with cheap succulents for the next renter. Julietta is a possible exception since it lasts for many years.

- Bromeliads can survive out of the ground for days. I've gotten a lot of my bromeliads via mail order. (usually from Florida) They come in a box, often with no roots, ideally with a wet paper towel around the base but often bone dry. And they do just fine like that! If you were to move houses, you could actually throw all your bromeliads in a box and take them with you.

- You can mix bromeliads with succulents for a sun tolerant (but still colorful) look. Succulents and bromeliads pair really well together.

- Some types need water in the "cup" area. Note that there can be a mosquito concern because of this (can be treated if needed). Hasn't been a problem for me. I've heard that in florida frogs like to hide in bromeliad centers/cups. 

- The Aechmea, Alcantarea Julietta & Neo Fireballs are great starter bromeliads. They're addictive though, so you will likely want to branch out at some point. Most likely you'll start shopping for the flower-like "Neoregelia" type, and there are so many beautiful choices in that type.  Just be aware that some "neos" can take lots of sun, while other "neos" need shade. The ones to do very last are the "Vrieseas"... though beautiful, they need a shady spot, and don't propagate (make pups) as often.

----

Hope that helps a bromeliad newbie!

Stacey

Edited May 26, 2021 by idesign123

[Darold Petty]

Thanks for posting this thread !  

[Tracy]

1 hour ago, idesign123 said:

advice on easy sun-tolerant bromeliads

When it comes to sun tolerant bromeliads and easy to grow it's tough to beat the Dyckia, Hechtia and Puya genra.  The downside is weeding around some of these, as they are the most vicious beating out even most of the Aechmea's for drawing blood or hooking you with back curved barbs, so you only dig in further as you try to extract the limb.  Below is something I acquired as Puya alpestris but proved to be a different species (likely Puya berteroniana).  I'm waiting for 10 1/2 years now for it to blossom as the colony gets bigger, but no inflorescence yet on it. They are spectacular when they do bloom though.   My last Puya alpestris bloomed in May 2013 is the last photo below to entice you to consider growing this genus.

[Merlyn]

I haven't gotten into bromeliads yet, the mosquito concern is probably a real one here in the swamp of FL.  But I do have a basic light green one from a neighbor, one called "Painted Fingernail" from another neighbor, and Alcantarea Imperialis from a SFL eBay seller.  They are hanging out in my palm/cycad nursery area at the moment, since I haven't figured out where to plant them.

[iDesign]

21 minutes ago, Merlyn said:

I haven't gotten into bromeliads yet, the mosquito concern is probably a real one here in the swamp of FL...

https://bromeliadparadise.com/blogs/care/how-to-get-rid-of-mosquitoes-in-bromeliads has good info on the Florida mosquito concern. 

Imperialis is a great bromeliad, very similar to Julieta (just less red in color). Slow growing but lasts forever. And gets huge!

As for figuring out where to put them, with most varieties you can drop them somewhere and move them again weeks later. I'm always grabbing them from one area of the yard and sticking them somewhere else. Imperialis is a bit more of a commitment, but I've moved my Juliettas many times with no negative repercussions.  Or you can just leave them in pots if you prefer (the "Oceanwest" bromeliad seller has an entire slope full of bromeliads buried in the ground... still in their pots).

I also move them if a bromeliad doesn't seem to like a spot... The ones listed above are sun lovers, but with others they can show signs of stress if too much sun, or not enough color if too much shade. With those I just experiment then adjust as needed (until you know what that type of brom likes sun-wise).

This "move it any time for any reason" quality of most bromeliads has been dangerous with my move into exotic palms. I've been much more careful in my palm planning, so I won't have to move something later. But the broms? Stick it somewhere that looks good today, and move it whenever you feel like it.

[Darold Petty]

Stacy, the Oceanwest website says that the nursery is wholesale.  Very few of us have a resale license, so we won't be able to shop there.    Please explain, thanks

[iDesign]

32 minutes ago, Darold Petty said:

Stacy, the Oceanwest website says that the nursery is wholesale.  Very few of us have a resale license, so we won't be able to shop there.    Please explain, thanks

Here's his Facebook link - https://www.facebook.com/OceanWest-Bromeliads-1438912283083874/

Not sure where you saw "wholesale" since the owner definitely sells to the public (he sells them from his home). You make an appointment and drop by to pickup some Aechmeas. Here is a photo of my car after I picked up some.

It's not cheap - $50 each last time I went, but I'm pretty sure he has the best selection of Aechmeas in Southern California. The original orange variety are easy to find anywhere, so you might be able to save some money getting that one of those locally or on Ebay (the big leaf orange is the most common one). On my most recent trip I bought a yellow, a peach, a purple "pinot noir" (for a slightly more shady spot), and some "red candles". 

Keep in mind when buying Aechmeas that they grow quickly and make lots of "pups" - so just buy one of each type you want.  And if you're lucky you might find one with a "pup" or two at the base. It's better to buy an ugly one with two pups than a pretty one with no pups.

Unfortunately Oceanwest doesn't ship. But if you don't live in Southern California, just order them from someone who does ship. Bromeliads ship very well... and again you just need ONE of each type (not multiples). With bromeliads you're buying "genetics" and the potential for many generations of bromeliads. My Aechmea bromeliads have been amazingly prolific.

Other favorite sources for bromeliads (from sellers who ship)...
- https://bromeliadparadise.com/ (I like their Juliettas, since often have grass pups attached / Fireballs have been hit or miss, but mostly good)
- https://www.ebay.com/usr/naturescolors?_trksid=p2053788.m1543.l2754 (I like their Fireballs - he'll discount shipping to actual cost if you ask)
- https://www.ebay.com/str/thenaturecollection (expensive but fabulous... I've treated myself to her broms on occasion)
- https://www.etsy.com/shop/LiveArtPlants?ref=nla_listing_details (have gotten some nice snags from them)
- https://www.bromeliad.com/ (hit or miss on this one... doesn't usually look as nice as photos)
- https://www.ebay.com/ or https://www.etsy.com/ (via search, again "pup" is totally fine if doing Aechmea)

Edited May 27, 2021 by idesign123

[Darold Petty]

Thanks for the quick response and links.  Here is the 'wholesale' reference,

https://oceanwest-bromeliads.business.site/?utm_source=gmb&utm_medium=referral

So I suppose that he really just means " by appointment only, no drop-ins".  Good to know, I drive down usually once or twice per year. 

[metalfan]

I grow a lot of neoregelias and bilberries out in full sun

[Merlyn]

8 hours ago, idesign123 said:

Imperialis is a great bromeliad, very similar to Julieta (just less red in color). Slow growing but lasts forever. And gets huge!

As for figuring out where to put them, with most varieties you can drop them somewhere and move them again weeks later. I'm always grabbing them from one area of the yard and sticking them somewhere else.

The Imperialis I bought was an offset of a pretty nice red one, a good price at $20 shipped even if it ends up being not quite Julieta red.    I first saw these at Fairchild and said. "I NEED one of those!"

Are the Painted Fingernail types tolerant of lots of sun and no supplemental water?  I have a spot that could use some red/burgundy/pink up front, but it's near a Butia triple and some dry-type cycads.  So I don't want to flood the area just to keep a bromeliad happy.  We get 60+ inches of rain here, but have a typical May and October hot drought.  I suppose I could put a small mister there and just turn it on during dry periods.

[joe_OC]

3 hours ago, Darold Petty said:

Thanks for the quick response and links.  Here is the 'wholesale' reference,

https://oceanwest-bromeliads.business.site/?utm_source=gmb&utm_medium=referral

So I suppose that he really just means " by appointment only, no drop-ins".  Good to know, I drive down usually once or twice per year. 

Hi Darold,  

If you are going to be in the LA area, here are the two bromeliad nurseries I would recommend:

'Live Art Plantscapes are friends of mine.  Natalia & Larry have an amazing set up for bromeliads. Their nursery is in Gardena and well worth the trip. 

http://www.liveartplantscapes.com/

You can go to Rainforest Flora as well in Torrance.  Paul has been collecting bromeliads for a long long time.  

https://www.rainforestflora.com/

 

[joe_OC]

12 hours ago, idesign123 said:

A forum member asked for advice on easy sun-tolerant bromeliads, so I thought I would create a new thread for it.  I'm not an "expert", but have been collecting & propagating bromeliads for several years now, and have some favorites. I'm going to focus here on the easy sun-tolerant ones, as shown in the following photos...

 

SUN-TOLERANT BROMELIADS

1) Aechmea Blanchetiana (and similar sun-tolerant Aechmeas)
The big orange bromeliad shown in several of the photos. LOVES sun and heat, and turns orange or even slightly red with the heat. The first photo is the only one that isn't from my yard. That one is from "Oceanwest Bromeliads" who specializes in this type. As you can see, they come in several colors. Orange & Yellow handle direct sun best. The more purple "Pinot Noir" is gorgeous, but doesn't handle direct sun quite as well. There's also the interesting-looking "red candle" variety with thinner spines. All are fabulous plants for a sunny spot.

2) Alcantarea Julietta
If you want a huge focal point bromeliad, get this one! It's shown in Photos #2, 5 & 6.  This one does need some space, but can be a beautiful focal point. This one is slower-growing than the Aechmeas, but lasts longer.

3) Neoregelia Fireball
The small red neoregelia ("neo") that I'm now sprinking everywhere throughout my yard... base of palms, corners of planters, etc. You seriously can't have too many Fireballs. Fireballs are shown in the right corner of photos 1 & 4. Also at the base of my chamaedorea costaricana in Photo #7, and at the base of my banana plants in Photo #8. Love those little guys.

----

PROPAGATING BROMELIADS

Propagating is half of the fun! Bromeliads propagate in three basic ways...

- By "Pups"
The Aechmeas often form small baby plants at their base. Leave these in place until they are 1/4-1/3 the size of the parent plant. Then cut it off. Ideally it has roots, but if not, just plunk it in the ground anyway and 9 times out of 10 it will grow in place.

- By "Grass Pups"
The Alcantarea Julietas form grass-like babies at the base. They're easy to mistake for weeds, so don't pull grass near the base if you think it might be attached. The ones in Photo #5 are getting a little older. Save some of the pups so you'll have younger ones to replace your parent plant when it eventually dies.

- By "Stolen"
The Fireballs propagate by sticking several "arms" and forming a bromeliad on each end. The parent fireball will eventually die and you just remove the dead leaves of the parent plant. If an area gets crowded, find one parent that has good roots and move it and any unrooted "pups" to a new spot (it's ok to break a section off if it has roots).

----

MISC NOTES:

- Unlike palms, bromeliads are super-easy to move around. I'm constantly moving my bromeliads from one spot in the yard to another, rearranging the groups, etc.

- They need well-draining soil. I use a mix of soil, perlite & small wood chips (orchid bark). Some people use straight wood bark, but I have trouble getting them to stand up in wood chips alone.

- Bromeliads are not "set and forget" plants. 2-4 times a year I walk through my garden, remove any "pups" that have reached 1/3 of the parent size (and plant them somewhere else), remove any dying parent plants (if I'm sure it's done making "pups"), and the yard looks refreshed and pretty when I'm done. It's not difficult to do as the bromeliads have very little roots (I can usually pull them out without even using a trowel). 

- If you are in a rental, consider taking your bromeliads with you when you move (since the next renter likely won't maintenance them). Replace with cheap succulents for the next renter. Julietta is a possible exception since it lasts for many years.

- Bromeliads can survive out of the ground for days. I've gotten a lot of my bromeliads via mail order. (usually from Florida) They come in a box, often with no roots, ideally with a wet paper towel around the base but often bone dry. And they do just fine like that! If you were to move houses, you could actually throw all your bromeliads in a box and take them with you.

- You can mix bromeliads with succulents for a sun tolerant (but still colorful) look. Succulents and bromeliads pair really well together.

- Some types need water in the "cup" area. Note that there can be a mosquito concern because of this (can be treated if needed). Hasn't been a problem for me. I've heard that in florida frogs like to hide in bromeliad centers/cups. 

- The Aechmea, Alcantarea Julietta & Neo Fireballs are great starter bromeliads. They're addictive though, so you will likely want to branch out at some point. Most likely you'll start shopping for the flower-like "Neoregelia" type, and there are so many beautiful choices in that type.  Just be aware that some "neos" can take lots of sun, while other "neos" need shade. The ones to do very last are the "Vrieseas"... though beautiful, they need a shady spot, and don't propagate (make pups) as often.

----

Hope that helps a bromeliad newbie!

Stacey

Helpful post for beginners, Stacey!

I was heavy into bromeliads for several years, but am tired of getting thorns in my fingers.  I have been slowly removing them in favor of ti's an crotons.  I still utilize bromeliads in the landscape, but nothing like before.

[Darold Petty]

Thanks, Joe !

[Silas_Sancona]

43 minutes ago, joe_OC said:

Hi Darold,  

If you are going to be in the LA area, here are the two bromeliad nurseries I would recommend:

'Live Art Plantscapes are friends of mine.  Natalia & Larry have an amazing set up for bromeliads. Their nursery is in Gardena and well worth the trip. 

http://www.liveartplantscapes.com/

You can go to Rainforest Flora as well in Torrance.  Paul has been collecting bromeliads for a long long time.  

https://www.rainforestflora.com/

 

" Live Art Plantscapes " is new to me, but pretty familiar w/ Rainforest Flora. A display they had at the last Orchid Expo i attended up in San Francisco ( Granted this was several years ago, lol ) was quite impressive.  Someone connected with the business i'd spoken with at the time actually offered me a chance to work for them, -if i would've been able to move to Los Angeles at that time.  Seem like good people. On the list of places i want to visit once back in CA. for sure.

[joe_OC]

11 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

" Live Art Plantscapes " is new to me, but pretty familiar w/ Rainforest Flora. A display they had at the last Orchid Expo i attended up in San Francisco ( Granted this was several years ago, lol ) was quite impressive.  Someone connected with the business i'd spoken with at the time actually offered me a chance to work for them, -if i would've been able to move to Los Angeles at that time.  Seem like good people. On the list of places i want to visit once back in CA. for sure.

Paul and his partner used to go to Latin America to collect when they were going to UCLA.  Quite an interesting history.  They focus on Tillandsia now.  

 

[Gonzer]

9 hours ago, Darold Petty said:

Stacy, the Oceanwest website says that the nursery is wholesale.  Very few of us have a resale license, so we won't be able to shop there.    Please explain, thanks

Dean sells to whomever comes a callin'. His selection of sun-hardened cultivars of blanchetianas is unrivaled in SoCal.

[Palm Tree Jim]

10 hours ago, joe_OC said:

Helpful post for beginners, Stacey!

I was heavy into bromeliads for several years, but am tired of getting thorns in my fingers.  I have been slowly removing them in favor of ti's an crotons.  I still utilize bromeliads in the landscape, but nothing like before.

Like Joe, I have been thinning out the bromeliads over the years. 

For me, they became very time consuming in the garden. 

Just an FYI, I have some yellow Blanchetiana if you would like them.

 

[iDesign]

1 hour ago, Palm Tree Jim said:

Like Joe, I have been thinning out the bromeliads over the years. 

For me, they became very time consuming in the garden. 

Just an FYI, I have some yellow Blanchetiana if you would like them.

 

Interesting... I adore my bromeliads and actually find the "pup removal / periodic bed refreshing" task enjoyable. But I can see how some might not love it. 

Are you in a hurry to get rid of your broms? If not, I would love to take any unwanted bromeliads off your hands next time I'm up your way.  Can trade, or pay if it's a bunch.

:: Still trying to comprehend the idea of people wanting to unload their bromeliads ::  

Stacey

P.S. If you want a lower-maintenance option you may want to consider the Alcantarea Julietta. Those are pretty close to "set & forget" in that they last for years. The Aechmeas on the other hand are always pupping, blooming & dying. In other words, there's likely an ideal bromeliad type for everyone... and your ideal bromeliad is more likely to be a low-maintanance Alcantarea than a high-maintenance (but fast-growing & super pupping) Aechmea. Just an idea (and I would be happy to trade a Julietta for Aechmeas if you want to give it a try).

Edited May 27, 2021 by idesign123

[msporty]

12 hours ago, joe_OC said:

Hi Darold,  

If you are going to be in the LA area, here are the two bromeliad nurseries I would recommend:

'Live Art Plantscapes are friends of mine.  Natalia & Larry have an amazing set up for bromeliads. Their nursery is in Gardena and well worth the trip. 

http://www.liveartplantscapes.com/

You can go to Rainforest Flora as well in Torrance.  Paul has been collecting bromeliads for a long long time.  

https://www.rainforestflora.com/

 

Second on Live Art. Hard to beat the quality and size of plants. Plus they have a few nice lipstick palms in the greenhouse!!

 

Norm Nakamishi is also great but I don’t think he does mail order. His nursery is private and I met him years ago through the bromeliad society. Since he grows everything outdoors, you know it will be easy to put plants right in the landscape. 

 

Here’s a good list of sun loving bromeliads. 

https://www.fcbs.org/articles/full-sun-bromeliads.htm

[Tracy]

12 hours ago, joe_OC said:

I was heavy into bromeliads for several years, but am tired of getting thorns in my fingers.  I have been slowly removing them in favor of ti's an crotons.  I still utilize bromeliads in the landscape, but nothing like before.

Mine are being thinned by a new puppy.  Besides eating Hibiscus flowers, he seems to love pulling off the Neoreglias and chewing on them.  I think the odor of the stinky water in the cups attracts him. 

 

21 hours ago, Merlyn said:

I haven't gotten into bromeliads yet, the mosquito concern is probably a real one here in the swamp of FL

That's one area that the very vicious family of Puya, Dyckia and Hechtia differ from many other bromeliads, they don't have cups that hold water, so no worries about mosquitoes.  That said, I don't know how these do in heavy rain areas like you have in Florida.  Some others that don't really hold water would be Orthophytum species like the Orthophytum saxicola, Orthophytum gurkenii and Orthophytum glabrum depicted below.  I have been growing these for many years in pots, and unlike the Neo's and Alcantarea imperialis, since they don't hold water my pup doesn't go after them.  These are old photos, so the clumps they have formed are much larger now.

[iDesign]

39 minutes ago, Tracy said:

Mine are being thinned by a new puppy.  Besides eating Hibiscus flowers, he seems to love pulling off the Neoreglias and chewing on them.  I think the odor of the stinky water in the cups attracts him. 

That's one area that the very vicious family of Puya, Dyckia and Hechtia differ from many other bromeliads...

More proof that there is a bromeliad type out there for everyone!

• Someone starting out with their landscaping and needing lots of bright color right away (and has time to do the "pup removal + refresh" thing) might like to start out with the colorful (and prolific) "Aechmea" type.
   
• Someone who wants a single large focal point bromeliad, which is low maintenance and doesn't have any spines might want look into the "Alcantarea" type (Julietta or similar).
   
• Someone who wants to sprinkle small dots of color throughout their yard (to decorate corners or the base of palms) might want to try some some "Neoregelia" Fireballs.
   
• Someone who wants to amass a huge variety of bromeliads in colorful patterns might want to start collecting the various "Neoregelia" types (there are hundreds for sale on Ebay).
   
• Someone who likes the vertical look of the Aechmeas, but wants something smaller and less spiny might want to look into the colorful "Billbergia" type (the "Darth Vader" Billbergia is my current avatar, and is a personal favorite).
   
• Someone with a more shady spot that wants something beautiful and slightly slower-growing (and has a relatively high plant budget) may want to collect "Vriesea" type (I drool over the multi-hundred dollar ones David Fell sells from his Hawaii nursery).
   
• Someone who loves the cool factor of Air Plants (and doesn't mind giving their plants an occasional bath) might want to enter the fascinating world of "Tillandsia" bromeliads.
   
• Someone who has a bromeliad-eating puppy and loves watching outer-worldly spiny plants slowly develop over the years (Hi Tracy) might want a "Puya", "Dyckia" or Hectia" type.

Rather than say "I don't like bromeliads", maybe you could consider saying "I tried the _________ type of bromeliad in my yard, but it wasn't a match for my particular situation because _________".

Just some food for thought 

P.S.  Sounds like Tracy has to deal with another version of "pup removal" (young dogs and young bromeliads are both called "pups")

Edited May 27, 2021 by idesign123

[Merlyn]

48 minutes ago, Tracy said:

That's one area that the very vicious family of Puya, Dyckia and Hechtia differ from many other bromeliads, they don't have cups that hold water, so no worries about mosquitoes.  That said, I don't know how these do in heavy rain areas like you have in Florida.  Some others that don't really hold water would be Orthophytum species like the Orthophytum saxicola, Orthophytum gurkenii and Orthophytum glabrum depicted below.  I have been growing these for many years in pots, and unlike the Neo's and Alcantarea imperialis, since they don't hold water my pup doesn't go after them.  These are old photos, so the clumps they have formed are much larger now.

Thanks for the additional suggestions!  I have ~400 different agaves, cacti, and aloes.  Most do well in swampy FL, as long as they are in lots of sun and in our sandy soil amended with more sand, perlite, and Turface MVP.  I've had a few consistent failures, most notably Asperrima and anything in the Victoria-Reginae group. 

I first saw Dyckia at Tom Broome's CycadJungle, and he had them growing in pots in full sun to part shade.  I think the pots were mostly very lightweight, with what looked like an inorganic mix and were basically dry to the touch.  He had some "cherry coke" and other similar ones, but I wasn't about to pay $50 per pot for something I knew nothing about.  I should pick up a few similar types, the colors would make a good contrast to the silver/blue/green of most of my agaves.  And they are less vicious than something like an Opuntia Polyacantha "Dark Knight." 

[iDesign]

Was talking with another Palmtalk member (offline) about Alcantarea "Julietta" and thought I'd post photos showing the difference in color between sun & shade.

I have two large ones, and was torturing one in full hot sun to see how much it can take. It eventually started showing some brown on the leaf tips, so I just moved it back to "mostly sun"... but it took a LOT of sun before it showed stress...

In contrast, here's the same plant ("Julietta") in full shade. Still shows a little red - and it's still very pretty - but it's much less red than the one that was in full sun (it's wet because I was washing leaves out of it)...

[iDesign]

One interesting thing about Alcanterea bromeliads is that they produce most of their "pups" when teenage (unlike most broms that make pups right before dying). I currently have 6 "Mom" bromeliads with "hair pups" that I will be growing out to possibly sell at some point (will be a while).  Hair pups grow so dang slowly! These are in near-full sun (thus showing a lot of red).

My two older Juliettas are also putting out a couple small hair pups. But the younger ones are the most prolific.

[khachaturian]

Sorry to steer away the attention from your bromelias, but why do you plant the plumerias that close together?

[Looking Glass]

On 5/26/2021 at 11:39 AM, iDesign said:

A forum member asked for advice on easy sun-tolerant bromeliads, so I thought I would create a new thread for it.  I'm not an "expert", but have been collecting & propagating bromeliads for several years now, and have some favorites. I'm going to focus here on the easy sun-tolerant ones, as shown in the following photos...

3) Neoregelia Fireball
The small red neoregelia ("neo") that I'm now sprinking everywhere throughout my yard... base of palms, corners of planters, etc. You seriously can't have too many Fireballs. Fireballs are shown in the right corner of photos 1 & 4. Also at the base of my chamaedorea costaricana in Photo #7, and at the base of my banana plants in Photo #8. Love those little guys.
 

You’re fireballs look amazing!  I’ve got a bunch, but they are of a genetic lineage that isn’t so fat or deep red, despite a lot of sun.   I’m always on the lookout for those deep red ones.   When you said you like bromeliads the other day, so weren’t kidding’!   I’d say you’re The Bromeliad Queen.  

The bromeliads I’ve killed have been from lack of sun, surprisingly.   When we first moved in, I rotted out some in the shade, thinking they liked more shade than they actually do.  I had a dozen in front of the front porch, but ended up moving them around, as they do attract mosquitoes here, and it was a bit much in front of the shady, windless porch area.   10 feet away made things more tolerable.   

These are my current favs….

 

 

 

[iDesign]

9 hours ago, khachaturian said:

Sorry to steer away the attention from your bromelias, but why do you plant the plumerias that close together?

Very observant 

My yard is in the midst of a multi-year redesign. Some areas are close to complete, and in those areas I've planted everything right in the ground. Here's a photo of the first area I declared "complete" (or close)...



Other areas are in a "temporary" state, where they are far from final but I still want them to look nice for now. In those areas I've got some of my plants in buried pots.  The Plumeria are in buried pots, as are the Ficus dammaropsis (those would be WAY to close together at that spacing). None of these will end up in this spot (nor will the strawberries). It's a temporary storage area for some of my plants, with the pots buried to make it look a little nicer (till their final home is ready). I also sometimes bury pots for functional reasons. This Joey is buried since I was worried the aggressive fern roots might choke it out. Seems to be happy in the buried pot so far (has been there 2yrs).

As for bromeliads, it's very rare that I would bury a bromeliad in a pot... I normally just stick them in the ground and dig/move whenever I feel like it. But I made an exception for my six "Mom" Julietta bromeliads. I'm a bit worried someone is going to mistake the grass pups for a weed and yank them off... plus I've been moving them around a lot (to add splashes of color throughout the yard). Here's a photo showing another one of my "Mom" Juliettas in a temporary location... in a buried pot (the Twist Ti is also in a buried pot since I might want to bring it inside during the coldest part of winter).

I've read a lot about buried pots and it sounds like it's not always a great idea. But I'm a bit on the OCD side with garden cosmetics, and it makes me feel more at peace to have most of my yard at least in a somewhat stable state. Then again I do have several areas where potted plants (not buried) are allowed, and I'm fine with them as long as they stay in their designated "container ranch" areas.

Long story short... plumerias are in buried pots and will eventually be spaced out more 

[iDesign]

7 hours ago, Looking Glass said:

You’re fireballs look amazing!  I’ve got a bunch, but they are of a genetic lineage that isn’t so fat or deep red, despite a lot of sun.   I’m always on the lookout for those deep red ones.

I tried a bunch of types and eventually settled on the one from the Ebay seller listed above (looks like he's out of stock right now... has the "Super Fireballs" but I like the regular ones). What I liked on those is that they're red regardless of sun amount, and have a slight burgundy tint, which I think looks nice with my Hawaiian Tis. There are tons of other Fireball sellers out there though. Just avoid the ones that are part green (if going for the "dots of red" effect).

7 hours ago, Looking Glass said:

When you said you like bromeliads the other day, so weren’t kidding’!   I’d say you’re The Bromeliad Queen.  

Aww, thanks. But I mostly just buy a lot of different stuff and torture them in different sun levels until I figure out what they like.  Still get most of my broms from Florida, but have a few CA sellers I like.

7 hours ago, Looking Glass said:

I had a dozen in front of the front porch, but ended up moving them around, as they do attract mosquitoes here, and it was a bit much in front of the shady, windless porch area.   10 feet away made things more tolerable. 

That's one factor in CA favor I suppose. Mosquitos haven't been an issue for me, but as a precaution I do put a few "Mosquito Bits" in the broms that hold water in the cup when it's mosquito season. Takes less time than fertilizing them would (there's only one bromeliad I own that gets fertilizer).

7 hours ago, Looking Glass said:

These are my current favs….

Ah yes "Red Tiger" (the double on the left) is awesome! It didn't take as much sun as I thought it would, but I still love it. I especially loved when I had it paired with a brom called "Hannibal Lecter" - I don't have a good photo, but here's what that combo looked like (tempt tempt)...

The brom on the right looks similar to another favorite of mine, though I lost the name long ago. I see a ton of broms that look like it, and there are a million names. But they are always cherry red with green spots (yours has cool stripes as well). My "red with green spots" is a favorite because it always looks perfect, makes lots of pups, and is bright red in both sun & shade. And it can take a ton of sun! Interestingly, in the sun the "spots" disappear (on mine), but that's ok... I like both looks. Here's one grouping of my "red with green spots" broms. This one is in shade, so is showing the spots...

[Looking Glass]

I see “Hannibal Lecter” when I’m out sometimes, will have to grab one.  Someone told me the spinier broms tend to handle more sun than the smooth ones….  Not sure if it’s always true, but it seems somewhat accurate.    

This one makes a ton of pups.  Was a single 18 months ago, now it’s more like 12+ (I put the other half of the clump elsewhere).   It gets a red central spot in the sun, but this is shady here   

Whenever I want to get rid of, or move, a normal size brom, I just pull it up and stick it in this side area.   I forget they are there sometimes.  When I come back there are always a bunch waiting for their new home.  What’s nice is you just grab them up and stick them in somewhere else, and they are fine.  

There are a couple front gardens here with hundreds, if not thousands, of single type bromeliads.  I bet they started as a single plant or two 10-20 years ago.