Tour of my Vriesea (Bromeliad) Collection ​🌺​

[iDesign]

Here's one for the Bromeliad Lovers! 

Bromeliads were my first love, and I've managed to amass a large collection of them. It's usually been my birthday / mother's day gift... and I've also gotten some discounts through my membership in the San Diego Bromeliad Society.

This particular Vriesea group is looking particularly nice after a recent reorganization. Here is a short video tour for your enjoyment...

Broms named in the video...

David Fell:
- Vriesea Chartreuse Goose
- Vriesea Hawaiian Raspberry
- Vriesea Lava Flow (misnamed in video)
- Vriesea Magenta Flush
- Vriesea Purple Prince
- Vriesea Strawberry Ice Cream

David Shiigi:
- Vriesea Red Samurai

Other:
- Vriesea Tasman Candyman
- Vriesea Ospinae var. Gruberi (aka “Smudge Grub”)

These are very expensive plants, and can be heartbreakers when they don't "pup". If you're new to broms, you should start with the easier/cheaper ones like the "neoregelia" or "aechmea" types. Your wallet will thank you. 💸

[happypalms]

Love it my father was a bromeliad obsessed man, I inherited his collection after his passing. Now iam a brom fan thanks to him. Seeing your collection reminded me of my father and the passion you shared in your post thanks for posting. But my palms are still number one.

[Rivera]

Though we grow Tillandsia, Dyckia, Puya, Fraseri, Guzmania, Neoregelia, and Aechmea, I think this Vriesea hieroglyphica is our only plant of this genus. It does have a pup, which is nice. 

[Cindy Adair]

Your collection is amazing and the video is really nice too.

I am relatively new to bromeliads but at the Tamiami orchid and rare plant show last month I headed to the brom vendors first. 
 

Vrieseas are probably my favorite and you are inspiring me to photograph and try to get names on Palm talk for some of my lost label ones. 

Thanks again for sharing.

[Mazat]

On 2/7/2025 at 4:45 AM, iDesign said:

Here's one for the Bromeliad Lovers! 

Bromeliads were my first love, and I've managed to amass a large collection of them. It's usually been my birthday / mother's day gift... and I've also gotten some discounts through my membership in the San Diego Bromeliad Society.

This particular Vriesea group is looking particularly nice after a recent reorganization. Here is a short video tour for your enjoyment...

Broms named in the video...

David Fell:
- Vriesea Chartreuse Goose
- Vriesea Hawaiian Raspberry
- Vriesea Lava Flow (misnamed in video)
- Vriesea Magenta Flush
- Vriesea Purple Prince
- Vriesea Strawberry Ice Cream

David Shiigi:
- Vriesea Red Samurai

Other:
- Vriesea Tasman Candyman
- Vriesea Ospinae var. Gruberi (aka “Smudge Grub”)

These are very expensive plants, and can be heartbreakers when they don't "pup". If you're new to broms, you should start with the easier/cheaper ones like the "neoregelia" or "aechmea" types. Your wallet will thank you. 💸

wonderful plants👍 and the video also

[shepcs]

Great post!  Really enjoyed it (and I had to look up Vreisia).  Good bromeliads sort of disappeared from OC nurseries.  Just a few will occasionally get them like Plant Depot.  My Home Depot ones will pull like crazy but not nearly as nice as yours 

[Cindy Adair]

Today I went to find Vrieseas on my farm, but only a few actually have labels with that genus.

V. Splendens is a favorite so I have it scattered in many places with some in bloom.

They are pretty easy to find here selling recently for $9 in bloom at a big box store.

The black markings don’t show up well in this photo but this is another favorite gifted from a PR friend and multiplying nicely.

The next ones I bought as Vriesea, but read that they are now Goudaea? 

Some either lost their label or were bought unlabeled. As with all my labels on PalmTalk, if you see an addition or correction please let me know!

The Rhapis multifida and cascading broms are now intermixed.

 

Lastly I was gifted a Vriesea hybrid 

I understand Vrieseas are all epiphytes, but so many branched trees were lost in Hurricane Maria 2017 that not enough horizontal branches are close to my house where I can enjoy these the most. 

Many are in pots sunk into the ground, but some are planted on steep slopes which often seems to work well ending up with many progeny.

I do have some tree fern stumps that might turn into brom supports in the future?

 

 

 

[Josue Diaz]

Love it! I recently met someone from the SD Bromeliad society and he's invited me over to check out some of his collection. I'm afraid this might be my next obsession... lol I already have some aechmeas (recurvata, blanchettiana, triangularis...), some bilbergia nutans and a prized vriesia imperialis, so maybe i can skip the line and dive head first?? there's no harm in that right? lol

[Looking Glass]

On 2/6/2025 at 10:45 PM, iDesign said:

Here's one for the Bromeliad Lovers! 

Bromeliads were my first love, and I've managed to amass a large collection of them. It's usually been my birthday / mother's day gift... and I've also gotten some discounts through my membership in the San Diego Bromeliad Society.

This particular Vriesea group is looking particularly nice after a recent reorganization. Here is a short video tour for your enjoyment...

Broms named in the video...

David Fell:
- Vriesea Chartreuse Goose
- Vriesea Hawaiian Raspberry
- Vriesea Lava Flow (misnamed in video)
- Vriesea Magenta Flush
- Vriesea Purple Prince
- Vriesea Strawberry Ice Cream

David Shiigi:
- Vriesea Red Samurai

Other:
- Vriesea Tasman Candyman
- Vriesea Ospinae var. Gruberi (aka “Smudge Grub”)

These are very expensive plants, and can be heartbreakers when they don't "pup". If you're new to broms, you should start with the easier/cheaper ones like the "neoregelia" or "aechmea" types. Your wallet will thank you. 💸

That looks like a great dappled spot for those and an even better arrangement.  Very nice colors.  I like the different hight levels in your set up.  I only have one Vriesea and have not experimented much with these yet, as I have a lot of blazing sun areas that these would not appreciate.  I think they would appreciate more protection than I can offer right now.  

It’s interesting how certain bromeliads look great in some areas, and just OK somewhere else.  I’ve ordered various ones from Hawaii, and they arrive looking awesome, only to turn a drab greenish later, regardless of the sun positions.   They still pup, but never achieve their former glory.  The ones I get from Puerto Rico seem to only get better here, already vetted to South Florida’s specific conditions.  

@Cindy Adair you’re in the right place to get very nice broms for decent prices.  

There’s enough varieties that you can always find something for any conditions.  They do make a great palm garnish.  
 

 

 

[Than]

Another fan here! I have a small vriesea which I love. She is at the balcony throughout this winter and doesn't seem to mind. I can't wait for the pup, which is now bigger than the mother plant, to flower.

How long does it take a new pup to bloom?

I also have a tillandsia and a big Billbergia which is now blooming profoundly!

[iDesign]

19 hours ago, Josue Diaz said:

Love it! I recently met someone from the SD Bromeliad society and he's invited me over to check out some of his collection. I'm afraid this might be my next obsession... lol I already have some aechmeas (recurvata, blanchettiana, triangularis...), some bilbergia nutans and a prized vriesia imperialis, so maybe i can skip the line and dive head first?? there's no harm in that right? lol

Love the imperialis! Broms & Palms go great together, and the SD Bromeliad society is a wonderful group. At a minimum, you should go to their two yearly Bromeliad Sales (where members sell their extra bromeliads, and usually spend the profit on bromeliads from the other vendors, lol). So far I've just been a buyer at these.

There's also an extremely dangerous yearly group buy from David Fell in Hawaii, where members can get these amazing plants at a discount. Still very expensive (as in $150-500 retail each, minus a group discount). That of course is where the financial danger is, although I'm trying to encourage mine to pup (to hopefully recoup some of the cost at some point). 

[iDesign]

9 hours ago, Looking Glass said:

That looks like a great dappled spot for those and an even better arrangement.  Very nice colors.  I like the different hight levels in your set up.  I only have one Vriesea and have not experimented much with these yet, as I have a lot of blazing sun areas that these would not appreciate.  I think they would appreciate more protection than I can offer right now.  

It’s interesting how certain bromeliads look great in some areas, and just OK somewhere else.  I’ve ordered various ones from Hawaii, and they arrive looking awesome, only to turn a drab greenish later, regardless of the sun positions.   They still pup, but never achieve their former glory.  The ones I get from Puerto Rico seem to only get better here, already vetted to South Florida’s specific conditions.  

@Cindy Adair you’re in the right place to get very nice broms for decent prices.  

There’s enough varieties that you can always find something for any conditions.  They do make a great palm garnish.  

Yeah, the vrieseas are the "prima-donnas" of the brom world. This grouping is in my absolutely most favored corner, with dappled sun and protection from the elements. A couple years ago we did some work on the porch beams above, and noticed a couple of the vrieseas were starting to burn. Extremely picky plants... only buy if you have an ideal spot for them. 🌤️

[iDesign]

9 hours ago, Than said:

Another fan here! I have a small vriesea which I love. She is at the balcony throughout this winter and doesn't seem to mind. I can't wait for the pup, which is now bigger than the mother plant, to flower.

How long does it take a new pup to bloom?

I also have a tillandsia and a big Billbergia which is now blooming profoundly!

The Vrieseas are by far the slowest to pup (only slower type I'm aware of is the large Alcantarea types). We're talking years... however on the flip side that means that the plant will stay gorgeous and low-maintenance for years. Kind of the opposite of the Aechmea blanchetiana types, where you get the satisfaction of tons of pups, but they require quite a bit of maintenance (due to their shorter life cycle).

I'm actually looking at options for encouraging "pups" on these. It was heartbreaking when my first (expensive) "Purple Prince" never pupped, and I'd love to avoid a repeat on my other expensive Vrieseas.

I'm first going to try the "stabbing" method (with a couple less expensive Vrieseas). From what I've read, destroying the area where the bloom would come out can encourage the plant to put out lots of pups (and sooner). I don't want to be doing that long-term, but right now I only have one specimen of each type, so it would be worth shortening the life of these in exchange for a few pups.

The other thing I keep hearing reference to is a chemical called "BA".  I just posted in a bromeliad forum asking for more information, but perhaps someone on palmtalk knows what this is?

Other than those leads, it's just a (long) waiting game to see if they'll pup.

[Josue Diaz]

6 minutes ago, iDesign said:

The Vrieseas are by far the slowest to pup (only slower type I'm aware of is the large Alcantarea types). We're talking years... however on the flip side that means that the plant will stay gorgeous and low-maintenance for years. Kind of the opposite of the Aechmea blanchetiana types, where you get the satisfaction of tons of pups, but they require quite a bit of maintenance (due to their shorter life cycle).

I'm actually looking at options for encouraging "pups" on these. It was heartbreaking when my first (expensive) "Purple Prince" never pupped, and I'd love to avoid a repeat on my other expensive Vrieseas.

I'm first going to try the "stabbing" method (with a couple less expensive Vrieseas). From what I've read, destroying the area where the bloom would come out can encourage the plant to put out lots of pups (and sooner). I don't want to be doing that long-term, but right now I only have one specimen of each type, so it would be worth shortening the life of these in exchange for a few pups.

The other thing I keep hearing reference to is a chemical called "BA".  I just posted in a bromeliad forum asking for more information, but perhaps someone on palmtalk knows what this is?

Other than those leads, it's just a (long) waiting game to see if they'll pup.

The stabbing method sounds like the bromeliad equivalent of the "coring method" in agave. To encourage pups, some people core the agave using a drill - destroying the central meristem. I've also seen people dissect their agaves like a pie, into 4 or more slices (looking from the top down onto the plant). Each section of agave then tries to pup. Sometimes if the central meristem remains on one of the slices, it continues to grow despite the severe mechanical injury. I've seen people multiply their amaryllis this way also, slicing the bulb/basal plate into multiple pieces. 

As far as the BA, it's a plant growth hormone. Not too familiar with this one. 

 

Josue

[Josue Diaz]

30 minutes ago, iDesign said:

Love the imperialis! Broms & Palms go great together, and the SD Bromeliad society is a wonderful group. At a minimum, you should go to their two yearly Bromeliad Sales (where members sell their extra bromeliads, and usually spend the profit on bromeliads from the other vendors, lol). So far I've just been a buyer at these.

There's also an extremely dangerous yearly group buy from David Fell in Hawaii, where members can get these amazing plants at a discount. Still very expensive (as in $150-500 retail each, minus a group discount). That of course is where the financial danger is, although I'm trying to encourage mine to pup (to hopefully recoup some of the cost at some point). 

I've found they pair really well with agave/aloes too. Some of my earlier varieties of mangave almost look like bromeliads, like Mission to Mars and Mocha Macho. Or at least, they look like broms at a quick glance. 

I already go to Plumeria sales in SD lol I guess I can try to incorporate a bromeliad sale. Luckily, my wife is also a plant person so she enjoys these sales as much as I do. 

[iDesign]

59 minutes ago, Josue Diaz said:

The stabbing method sounds like the bromeliad equivalent of the "coring method" in agave. To encourage pups, some people core the agave using a drill - destroying the central meristem. I've also seen people dissect their agaves like a pie, into 4 or more slices (looking from the top down onto the plant). Each section of agave then tries to pup. Sometimes if the central meristem remains on one of the slices, it continues to grow despite the severe mechanical injury. I've seen people multiply their amaryllis this way also, slicing the bulb/basal plate into multiple pieces. 

As far as the BA, it's a plant growth hormone. Not too familiar with this one. 

 

Josue

Thank you!!! The information on "bromeliad stabbing" is very scant, and now I can research more by searching for "agave coring" - yay for more info! I'm pretty sure it's the same thing since I remember reading the phrase "destroy the meristem". But to be safe, I'm going to practice on some inexpensive grocery store Vrieseas first. 🪛 🌺

Oh, and I agree with mangaves being very similar... a bromeliad collecting friend of mine in Carlsbad has recently started branching out into mangaves. The tropical plants quest never ends... happily I'm loving the journey. 🏔️

[Darold Petty]

Stacey, are you not troubled by raccoons ?  I gave up on Neoregilia and other 'water cup' broms after the raccoons periodically tore out the centers of the plants.

[iDesign]

34 minutes ago, Darold Petty said:

Stacey, are you not troubled by raccoons ?  I gave up on Neoregilia and other 'water cup' broms after the raccoons periodically tore out the centers of the plants.

I've seen a racoon in my yard a couple times - as well as a other animals like coyotes (mostly seen on a night camera I setup). Only thing I've observed is that they like to dig up my smaller Aechmea broms, and something big recently displaced some broms by walking past them (I could see its trail via knocked down bromeliads).  When this happens I just stick them back in the ground... no biggie. 🥀

I haven't had animals rip up the old neos, but I've heard it can be a problem for some people. I believe @Tracy said he had to remove his neos due to a pup (animal, not brom pup) attacking the old stinky ones. Only thing I can figure is that I might be removing the dead parent plants before they get stinky enough to attract the wildlife? 🦨

[Looking Glass]

1 hour ago, Darold Petty said:

Stacey, are you not troubled by raccoons ?  I gave up on Neoregilia and other 'water cup' broms after the raccoons periodically tore out the centers of the plants.

Racoons will sometimes tear up bromeliads here.   When they do they hit a bunch overnight. But they leave thick leafed, spiny ones alone.   Look at the leaves, and try thick spiny Neoregelia and Aechmea types.  More like these….

Than this…

[iDesign]

Ha! Yeah the spiky ones sometimes have scary names as well, like “Hannibal Lecter” or “Predator”. 👀

I think that’s what @Tracy ended up doing… replacing his friendly neos with “mean” broms. 😈