Bromeliad - Queens Tears Online Plant Nursery

Bromeliad - Queens Tears (Billbergia nutans)

general picture = not of actual plant for sale

This groundcover is now:

140mm	pot size
10cm high	current size
$5.00	price

New Stock due Mar 2010
get notified here

When mature this groundcover is:

Hardiness Drought

Height 30cm

Spread 20cm

Description: The most striking feature of this plant is the pendulous flower clusters on long pink stems at any time of the year, and it will flower when young. They are a durable plant for the home that can withstand periods of neglect. Also suitable for placing in trees, accentuating the hanging flower spike.

Very hardy and beautiful, bromeliads handle life differently than other plants. Most are epiphytic, their roots are little more than supports or hold-fasts. Their leaves do most of the work. The leaves form a tank to collect and hold moisture. These tanks also catch the leaves discarded by the trees towering over them. As the detritus decays, the bromeliad leaves absorb the nutrients. Bromeliads are adapted to making do with few resources and they do it very well.

Care: Billbergia nutans grows in part shade to full sun, especially enjoying the sun in cooler areas. If in a pot, the free draining mix should be neutral to slightly acidic. Plant under (or in) trees so the fallen leaves landing in the vase of the bromeliad provide all the necessary nutrients. Prefers an Orchid potting mix or a porous mixture such as equal parts bark chips, humus, peat moss and sand. During the growing season it is advisable to keep water in the funnel at the centre of the rosette most of the time. Keep the soil barely moist - only water when the soil is dry to the touch. If the plant is growing well but does not flower, try wrapping it in a plastic bag with some ripe apples for a few days. The ethylene gas released by the apples should induce flowering.

INDOOR PLANTS:Feed in spring/summer by spraying with a weak seaweed emulsion (half the strength recommended on the lable).

Pests/Diseases: Indoor pests to watch for include scale and thrips (take outdoors for a week, remove by hand). Yellow leaves may mean either too much direct sun or too cool temperatures.

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Note we do not send overseas. Only AUSTRALIAN orders please, and sorry no W.A., Tas., or N.T.

WE DO NOT SEND TO THE U.S.A.

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