Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Quesnelia liboniana


Another of the spring-blooming Quesnelias, but this one looks completely different!  Quesnelia liboniana has rigid, erect foliage that is plain green in color and a single plant only produces 3 to 4 leaves before flowering.  The leaves grow about 18" tall (24" in shadier spots) and in the spring a vivid orange and blue flower spike emerges.
The colorful portion of the flower spike is about 4 to 6 inches in height and is held above the foliage for maximum visibility.  These plants are cold hardy into the mid 20° F range.  Offsets are produced on stolons, which quickly fill a pot and creep over the sides.
Due to its comparatively small size, this Quesnelia can easily be grown in a 6" pot and moved around when blooming for increased enjoyment!
Plants will grow in nearly full sun to mostly shade, developing lighter green leaves in more light.

4 comments:

BernieH said...

This one is a stunner ... what marvellous colours. They really are great plants. Even though I've never been that interested in them before, photos like this will slowly change my mind.

Susan in the Pink Hat said...

That clunking sound is my jaw hitting the floor. Orange+blue=Stunning.

lostlandscape (James) said...

What a cool plant! I don't have many bromeliads, but a lot of them have been pretty spectacular this winter and spring. Still, none of them are anything as wild as this one.

Molly said...

Beautiful pictures