Friday, September 10, 2010

Aechmea lueddemanniana

I usually post bromeliad profiles at the time they're in bloom, but Aechmea lueddemanniana is a species that I think is showier long after the flowers have faded.
The flower spikes appear in the spring, covered with a fine scurf.  The flowers are small and lavender in color.
As the flowers fade, the "berries" start to swell.  While they develop over the summer, they change color.  Green first, then white,
and finally purple!  This is when they're the most eye-catching.
The Aechmea lueddemanniana plants grow best where they'll get morning sun, or shifting shade throughout the day.  Each plant will get about 18 inches tall and 2 foot wide, and they seem to be fairly cold-hardy, surviving brief freezes with little damage.  The purple "berries" will remain in color for a couple of months before finally shriveling and falling from the plant.

3 comments:

Meems said...

I have so many bromeliads and hardly know the names of any of them. This one is one of my favorites. My dad gave me one plant several years ago and now ... well you know how it goes... I have several. I'm constantly dividing them and putting them in new places. It is a stand-out for sure. The foliage turns a pretty shade of red when it get cooler.
Meems

Anonymous said...

awesome blog, do you have twitter or facebook? i will bookmark this page thanks. jasmin holzbauer

Grower Jim said...

Anonymous: I am GrowerJim on both Twitter and Facebook.