Tag Archives: Aechmea Little Harve Bromeliad

In a Vase on Monday – WTFlower

It’s Monday again.I’m joining Cathy and the intrepid producers of floral artistry with a mad concoction from my South Florida garden. Happy Monday!

The Bromeliads in my garden are welcoming their season to shine. It’s possible to have Bromeliad flowers year round, but the winter months are when they are happiest. November through March is the time to move the plants around, cut and propagate pups, and cut flowers if you are lucky.

This is no surprise to me as I doubt I encountered a Bromeliad growing up in the Deep South – most people gawk when seeing flowers like these and say “What in the world is that?” I found these plants so intriguing (and bulletproof to boot) I have them everywhere.

Some closer views. I am wondering if anyone else uses a Pixel phone? The latest upgrade has been giving me fits.

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The pale yellow flowers are “Little Harv” Aechmea Bromeliad.

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Blue and pink flowers are “Candy” Portea Bromeliads. White flowers are Dragonwing Begonias.

Foliage is from pineapple plants and a White Bird of Paradise.

Thank you to Cathy for hosting. Follow the link to RamblingintheGarden to see more vases.

Gifts from the Garden

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I love the little surprises the garden provides. I had two surprises this holiday season from my expanding collection of Bromeliads from garage sale finds. Bromeliads were new to me as a garden perennial when we moved to South Florida six years ago. I find them really interesting and wanted to try some, soon finding they are very expensive, people who sell them have little to offer in terms of how to place and grow, on top of that I suffer from what my father called ‘cheap Scotch heritage’. Spending $80.00 for one perennial that may or may not make it, not happening in my garden.

Experience tells me the more expensive the plant the more likely Alan the greyhound will dig it up or sit on it..oops. I began noticing Bromeliads for sale at garage sales – no one knew the names,  but I knew they would thrive in my garden if people were selling excess plants. And they usually cost 5 bucks! Win, win. Plant and wait a couple of years..

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The flowers from these perennials take a bit to get going but they tend to last a long time. I watched the big pink bud with baited breath and finally it opened.

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Really kind of an amazing flower and worth the wait. I asked around for a long time and finally someone recognized this on social media as an Aechmea ‘Little Harv’, a Bullis Bromeliad from a South Florida grower and they do sell for $70.00 a piece.

My next surprise is another Aechmea, Aechmea weilbachii forma viridisepala. I have been calling it the LeSueur Pea Bromeliad. Identified by Facebook again. I have learned these are winter flowering and also long lasting in the garden.

 

Can’t wait to see what comes up next…I have been to a few more garage sales, and the foliage is turning out plum.