Striped blushing bromeliad

Striped blushing bromeliad is an attractive, evergreen perennial herbaceous epiphytic bromeliad that offsets readily to form a nice clump. It has a very short stocky stem. The foliage of the rosette is funnel-shaped, spreading, rather flat, broader than tall, about 8 inches tall and 14-24 inches across. The leaves are ribbon-like, narrow, leathery, bent gracefully outward and then inward, spine-tipped with somewhat densely toothed edges, hairless above, obscurely scaly beneath. Outer leaves are shiny glossy olive-green and stripped with creamy-white to pale yellow along the leaf edges. When its flowering stage, the center leaves turn to hot pink and lasting for some months afterward. It produces small bluish/white flowers within its colorful rosette in spring to summer.

Scientific classification:

Family:

Bromeliaceae

Subfamily:

Bromelioideae

Genus:

Neoregelia

Scientific Name:

Neoregelia carolinae cv. Flandria

Common Name:

Striped blushing bromeliad

How to grow and maintain Striped blushing bromeliad:

Light:

It grows best in the bright indirect sunlight to shade. Plants develop the best foliage color in bright light but do not appreciate the direct full sun.

Soil:

Striped blushing bromeliad will grow in almost any well-drained soil or epiphyte mix that is moist and organic in nature.

Temperature:

Normal to just above average temperatures of 65 – 80ºF are best suited. Avoid lower than 55ºF (13ºC).

Water:

Fill the inside vase with water, utilizing distilled or rain-sourced water, and change it every four to six weeks. The soil needs to be kept slightly moist but not soaked.

Fertilizer:

Little fertilizer is required although some growers do use a diluted liquid seaweed fertilizer every 6 months, usually spring and autumn. Over-fertilization will cause excess leaf growth and a lack of color.

Pruning:

Basically just removal of dead leaves to keep it tidy.

Propagation:

Striped blushing bromeliad can be easily propagaed from the offset suckers that develop around the mother plant.

Pests and Diseases:

Watch for pest scale insects and mealybugs. Neoregelia is also vulnerable to bacterial soft rot and leaf spot and fungal leaf spots.