Wally Berg Bromeliad
Location
Bromeliad Island
- Common name: Wally Berg Bromeliad
- Scientific name: Aechmea blanchetiana
- Family name: Bromeliaceae
- Origin: Brazil
- Height: 2-4 ft
- Width: 1-2 ft
- Growth: Slow
- Zone: 10b-11
- Light needs: Part Sun to Full Sun
- Salt tolerance: Poor
- Soil/pH/Texture: Tolerates a range of soil types, acidic to slightly alkaline (Ph 6.0-7.5)
- Moisture: Absorbs water through a cup in its center – should be flushed out and refilled about once a week
- Drought tolerance: High
- Pests/Diseases: Root rot may occur if soil is too moist. Mosquitoes and scale may breed in the trapped water in the leaves.
- Growing conditions: Grows best in partial shade in moist but well-drained soil. It is an epiphyte, so it can be grown without soil with a soil-less medium around its roots, or in the branches of trees. Can also be grown in a container. Its water cup should be flushed out regularly to avoid stagnation.
- Characteristics: Leaves are long, smooth, simple, and arranged as a rosette around a central point, 18-36 inches long. Margins of the leaves are spiny, the color tends to be an orange-red. Flowers grow in clusters of red and yellow bracts and grow on a spade that emerges from the center.
- Propagation: By offsets or by seed
- Wildlife: The water cup may be home to mosquitos or a frog.
- Facts: Named after Wally Berg, who brought the species to Florida from South America.
- Designer considerations: Good for ground cover, for shady areas, or to put in trees for a spot of color. Pairs well with plants that have highly textured foliage or that have foliage in cooler shades of purple and blue.
