Bromeliad - aechmea blanchetiana
Plant Diary

In February, 2007 I visited the Discovery Garden at the Hillsborough County Extension Office. I was struck by the beautiful foliage of two bromeliads and how well they were integrated into the landscaping. I wasn't able to find out the name of the bromeliads, so I posted a question on the Bromeliad Forum at Dave's Garden. With help from forum members I was able to identify them as aechmea blanchetian.	I was intrigued by the plants. They are one of the few bromeliads that can tolerate direct sunlight and their colorful foliage makes a major statement in a landscape. While I had never grown bromeliads before, I decided to take the plunge and bought a pup from eBay.	March 17, 2007 - The pup arrived two weeks later. The first shock was that the pup was a cutting from the mother and had no roots. After an hour of reading up on bromeliads I realized they have a lot in common with orchids. As epiphytes they do not have extensive root systems and can absorb moisture through their leaves or the "tanks" at the center of the plant. Many bromeliads require a loose, fast draining soil medium with plenty of bark to allow the root system to breathe. Alternatively, you can mount them on trees.
October 26, 2007 - Seven months later, the bromeliad has doubled, maybe tripled, in size. It's turned out to be a relatively worry free plant that adds an interesting color to the garden.	December 27, 2007 - In a matter of two months the Bromeliad has grown by about 25%.	July 14, 2008 - It continues to grow and has sent out three pups.