Blushing Bromeliad
Location
Bromeliad Island
- Common Name: Blushing (other common names: Cartwheel Plant, Neoregelia Bromeliad, Blushing Bromeliad)
- Scientific Name: Neoregelia carolinae
- Family Name: Bromeliaceae
- Origin: Brazil, Colombia, and Peru
- Height: 2’ – 3’
- Width: 3’ – 4’
- Growth: slow
- Zone: 10A – 11
- Light Needs: Full sun (prefers a half o day of direct sun year-round but does not like direct mid-day sun in hot climates)
- Salt Tolerance: unknown
- Soil/PH/Texture: not picky about its soil, if it drains well, can be amended with 1/3 peat moss or African Violet soil. mildly acidic – mildly alkaline, the leaves absorb nutrients that have dissolved from the central vase that satisfy the nutritional needs for this plant.
- Soil Moisture: Mesic – water regularly (about every 10 days) in its vase/rosette, but do not over water or leave soil soggy, just barely moist.
- Drought Tolerance: low – but humidity tolerant
- Pests/Diseases: mostly pest and disease resistant – flush the center vase every few weeks to detour unwanted pests or diseases (watch for scales).
- Growing Conditions: easy to grow and low maintenance
- Characteristics: grown for its foliage of red, white, green, or multi-color with spines. The leaves in the center of the plant turns a striking bright red as the plant begins to bloom which is where the name “Blushing” comes from. The colored vase will last until the parent plant dies making room for offsets/pups. The blooms range from Pink-Lavender-Violet-Scarlet, under 1”, stay hidden inside the crown, and they bloom in Mid-spring to Mid-fall.
- Propagation: by division of rhizomes, bulbs, offsets, or pups which are ready to be planted when the mother plant dies back (flowers are sterile, and the seed does not set or come true).
- Wildlife: attractive to birds, bees, and butterflies
- Facts: unknown
- Designer Considerations: use as a border plant, mass planting in garden beds or around the base of a specimen plant, hang in a tree, or as a wall hanging on bark or wood and does excellent in a container for your patio or deck.