Family: Bromeliaceae
Common Name: Vase Plant

These tubular or vase-shaped plants are among the most strikingly beautiful of the bromeliads. In their natural habitat of tropical South America they can be found suspended on trees, in ground colonies or on rocks. However they are easy to cultivate. With their exotic flowers and foliage, they make superb indoor plants, although the flowering heads do not last well. If allowed to multiply, each upright tube will bear an inflorescence in several colours at once.

Species

B. horrida has stiff, banded leaves and an erect inflorescence with green flowers. It is a medium-sized species.

B. leptopoda, permanent wave plant, has remarkable gray-green leaves, spotted with silver, and a red, blue and yellow inflorescence. It grows to about 30 cm (12 in).

B. nutans, Queen's tears or friendship plant, is smaller and quite easy to grow. Often found growing on windowsills, it has a uniquely coloured inflorescence in pale green, navy blue and pink.

B. porteana is a large species with dramatic, spotted leaves, green flowers and eye-catching rosy bracts.

B. pyramidalis, foolproof plant, forms a rosette of plain green leaves from which appears an erect, thistle head inflorescence in brilliant red.

B. zebrina has long leaves, banded in silver, and a pendulous yellow inflorescence, surrounded by large pink bracts.

Cultivation

In frost-free areas billbergias can be grown outdoors as groundcover in shady places. In frost-prone climates grow in an intermediate greenhouse or conservatory, or as house plants, either as epiphytes by mounting them on pieces of driftwood or bark, or in pots of soilless compost which contains plenty of peat or chipped bark. They like maximum light but not direct sun. The plants' vase should be kept filled with water, which shoulc be changed frequently. Water well during the growing season and provide adequatf humidity. Propagate from offsets in the spring.

Climate

Zone 10 and above.