Flat, green, sharp and spiky narrow leaves with creepy weird flower
by Cheryl
(Southern, Ontario, Canada)
I have a plant that I am trying to figure out what kind it is.
I always thought it was a cactus, but it has flat, narrow jagged, sharp leaves.
It almost grows similar to a Spider plant, with the narrow, long leaves growing out from the center, but it sprouted others in the pot, so I now have 3-4 together.
I have had the plant for over 2 years and it recently flowered, which I didn't realize it could do.
It started as a narrow pink bulb on a long shoot with weird cone looking spiky things poking out the end of the closed bulb, it has now opened up and the greenish spike things in the center have purple and pink colored rings near the end....it is a very long flower.
The leaves are not thick, they are quite thin but are very rigid and sharp, like a razor and have little spikes along the outer edge.
Pink large blossom. Long and green plant leaves.
by Lou Carrier
(Huntington beach , CA)
Pink large blossom. Long and green plant leaves.
Hi Lou, this is an incredibly beautiful plant with those weird dangly blooms. These are Bilbergia nutans, the Queens Tears.
These are fascinating plants, quite plain until those absolutely jaw dropping flowers emerge. All the bromeliads have something of merit to offer - did you know that Pineapples come from this family?
Queens Tears are very distinctive, even among all the other wonderful types.
Happy Succulent Growing!
Jacki
Amazing blossoms
by Ann
(Huntington Beach CA USA)
Clumping plant that surprises me when it blooms. The blossoms are pink, green, yellow, and blue! What can it be?
Hi Ann, this gorgeous creature is called Queens Tears - you can see more about it here: Bilbergia nutans.
It's a bromeliad, a group which has some of the most interesting plants; some are the vase shaped Blushing Bromeliad which you can see here.
Thanks for sharing the pictures of your lovely plant!
Jacki
Is this a succulent?
by Derricka
(Perth, Australia)
Long thin sharp edged leaves. Produces pretty green/blue bell like flowers emerging from a pink pod like casement.
I got this from my mum who's had it for so long that she's not sure where she even got it.
It was very overgrown and root bound. I split all the plants and repotted them. It hasn't suffered from the splitting or repotting and is as healthy as.
Thanks for any help.
Hi Derricka, wow, nice plant! Be careful repotting plants that are blooming, sometimes the only reason they are is due to being rootbound - in some cases, they require that condition to promote bloom.
I'm pretty sure that this is some kind of bromeliad, known as Bilbergia nutans, the Queens Tears - what a gorgeous and evocative name - who but a queen could cry jeweled tears, which these flowers resemble? They also at times will weep nectar, which is thought to also be another reason for the name.
For care, as you've found, a small pot to keep the roots bound for best flowering. The roots of many bromeliads are not very robust and will be happier in a smaller container.
Water often in the summer, less so during winter to prevent rotting.
Bright but not intense light will keep these plants happy.
Enjoy your delightful plant, may it continue to 'cry' for you on a regular basis!
Jacki
