Tag Archives: Billbergia bromeliads

In a Vase on Monday – Have a Blast in 2026!

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It seems as if 2025 rocketed right on by. Here we are at the end of the year once again. I cut these flowers in anticipation of a fantastic New Year. As usual, there is a little tropical madness and a few fireworks in the components.

I live a bit south of Cape Canaveral in Florida. This is where the space program started in the US in the 1960’s; it is still a center of rockets blasting off in the US. We can see the launches from our backyard. My husband loves it. The truth is there is not much to see – a squiggle of clouds on the horizon 90 miles away, but people (mostly men) love it. The tourist designation for this area is the Space Coast.

Back to the plants. Here is a closer view:

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The red, white and blue flower is from a bromeliad, Billbergia vittata. I am not sure which cultivar or even where it came from at this point. I enjoy this plant for the sheer funkiness of its appearance (picture below) Varigated leaves behind the brom are from Piecrust Croton (Codieum varigatum). Green foliage is from Asparagus Fern. Red bell shaped flowers are from the seasonally appropriate Firecracker Plant (Russelia equisetifolium). White flowers are Sweet Begonia (Begonia odorata ‘Alba’)

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The buds on the Bromeliad vittata. The plant is purple and grey striped and produces red, white and blue flowers! Tropical madness.

As always, thank you to Cathy for hosting IAVOM. Visit Cathy at RamblingintheGarden to see more vases.

Happy New Year to Everyone!!!

Six on Saturday – Billbergias and Begonias

We have had a dreadful weather week. Cold, rainy, overcast and dreary. Long time local garden dwellers say this is the longest cold spell in 45 years. So not South Florida. The sun came back out today and I am happy to see it. I am not certain it was cold enough to damage anything, but am feeling nervous about the fruit on the mango trees. The temperature was hovering around 40F and anything lower than that they don’t like.

I am joining Jim and the gang posting at GardenRuminations to share what is going on in the garden. I sought tropical flowers to counter the January gloom and was pleased to find some. Follow the link to see what else is going on in the gardening world.

Bromeliad madness. This is a Billbergia vittata. I am not sure if it is a named cultivar or exactly what it is. These plant are just so The Far Side. I have a few that are even more unusual. This is about two feet tall. It took a while to get into the right amount of sun for flowering. Now I have a mass of these shooting up flower stalks in January.

A closer view of the flower.

Another Billbergia. Again, I am not sure what variety. It was sold as ‘Rainbow’ – but I doubt that is right. I think the flowers will open a bit more. Time will tell.

Sweet Begonias (Begonia odorata ‘alba’) enjoying the sunshine.

‘Big Pink’ Begonia getting a little bronze with the cool weather. The pink looks more like its parent B.semperflorens (Wax Begonia) to me than ‘Big White’ Begonia does.

‘Big White’ Begonia, richer green leaves and a lower to the ground habit. Still looks great after all the rain and cold. Wondering about summer heat and these Begonias.

That’s all from warming up South Florida. I’m looking for more Billbergias flowers soon to add to the tropical madness. Thanks to Jim for hosting.