I know, your reaction was probably the same as mine. “Good Lord, what is that?” Purple and white spotted foliage with a red, white and blue flower – who on earth could have dreamed that up? As it turns out a guy named Don Beadle did, a famous breeder of bromeliads he created this one – the Hallelujah Billbergia. Here is a closer view of the flower:
I bought the Billbergia a couple of years ago at a gardening show in Vero Beach, Florida. It was selected to add a tall purple accent in a terracotta wok container of bromeliads I was putting together for my front porch. I did not realize it would flower at all.
I walked out on my porch a couple of mornings ago and thought someone had stuck something in the back of the wok planter. Upon closer inspection, I realized it was a flower, a very funky flower. So I gave it a couple of days to see what it would do and decided to cut it for my Monday vase.
I cut it, brought it into the house and had this feeling something was looking at me. I looked down into the foliage and there was a tiny frog in the foliage surrounding the flower. The frog needed to go back outside, I took the whole thing back onto the front porch and the frog happily jumped over the wall and joined a friend in the Heliconias.
Now there were two frogs looking at me. Hopefully, they are having some grand frog fun eating bugs in the garden. Bad bugs only, of course.
The vase in an old silver-plated something my mother bought in (her words) the junk store. I love the patina and I think it was a goblet, but at my house, it has only been used as a vase. Given the brilliant coloration of the centerpiece Hallelujah Billbergia Bromeliad adding a little green and white seemed the best option. Asian Sword Ferns and Asparagus Ferns are the greens and the white flowers at the base are Sweet Begonias (Begonia odorata “Alba”)
Hallelujah!
The Shrub Queen 
I think this is fascinating. I have never seen this bromeliad let alone the flowers. Love the flower grouping. Frogs are such sweet creatures. Always helping the gardener by eating bugs.
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I have had the Bromeliad for a year or two, it is flowering and has put out several pups.
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Had a good giggle at your post, Amy, with the bizarrely bred bromeliad flower and your tiny frogs – what a great picture that was! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
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I as giggling, too. What a wacky plant and then frogs!
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Amazing, I’m sure the frogs are doing a good job.
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i think so, there is an 8 foot long snake (good kind) in the same area, not many bugs!
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The Billbergia is amazing. Glad you saw the frog early on in the arranging.
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amazing is a good description although i think gaudy is as well. It would be bad to have a frog pop out of a centerpiece at a dinner party!
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Bromeliads do have the most extraordinary flowers! That observation is based mainly on those I see at shows as the only one of mine that’s bloomed to date is Billbergia nutans (pretty flowers but a boring plant). The frogs are an adorable addition, unplanned or not. I haven’t seen a frog here in many, many years.
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Yes, the bromeliads continue to surprise and delight as I generally have bought unlabeled plants. I also continue to move them around. Is it too dry for frogs in your garden?
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What a mad plant! I mean mad in the English sense (ie. crazy), not that your lovely Bro-whatsit is angry. And how appropriate to feature a plant named Halleluiah in the week that Leonard Cohen died. Love the urn. And the wee frogs. They are too darling for words. I would have kept them as pets.
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Mad is a wonderful description. My reaction was “WTH” not English! I think that is probably American, as we are more in touch with crass. Frogs and lizards are pets! We just carry them back outside and hope the cat doesn’t get to them first.
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What a weird flower – very striking! Clearly the frog liked it – glad he found a friend when you took him out!
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I agree weird! I am not sure if those are baby frogs or maybe just tiny frogs.
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Oh what fun your weird bromeliad is and how recherché having cute, live frogs as accessories for your arrangement.
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The bromeliads are always fun – I never know what the flower is going to be. I think it might a little too recherche to have a frog jump into the soup at dinner?
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Ain’t nature grand?
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Yes and amazing.
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Cynthia, I managed to delete your comment about the Orchid tree, it is about 30 feet tall and 20 wide. Very pretty when in full bloom.
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It must be. Wow.
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ribbit-ing!
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Can you tell me a shaggy dog story?
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