xNeophytum 'Hula Girl'

15 years ago

I picked up a xNeophytum 'Hula Girl' pup on Saturday and was quite impressed with the mother I got it from. I can't figure out if it's registered. BSI and FCBS don't have it yet? Google shows a mention from last September in the TCBS Newsletter:

"I would like to share with you a new hybrid Brom I found on BromeliadWorld.com. It is a bigeneric by Ron Parkhurst "Neophytum Hula Girl" it grows about 20 inches wide and has rich pink leaves down to a green throat."

That description matches the parent plant that I saw, but doesn't mention the wider leaves and cool contrasting spines. This one doesn't look like the normal navioides cross.

I don't have a pic of the parent, but I may be able to get one. I also don't have a pup pic yet.

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Comments (7)

LisaCLV
15 years ago
There's a picture of it on that website. I agree it doesn't look like a navioides cross, in fact I'm not seeing any Ortho traits at all. Nice looking plant, but it just looks like a narrow-leafed Neo to me. I'd be interested to know what Ron used in the cross. It's not in the registry.

Here is a link that might be useful: xNeophytum Hula Girl -- Bromeliad World
bromadams
Original Author
15 years ago
I will say that the full size plant does have that orthophytum look with a nice cascade of leaves like you have in a burle-marxii or heleniceae. You don't see that in the pic on that commercial site or from my pup.

{{gwi:446972}}
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LisaCLV
15 years ago
See if you can get a picture that shows that, Nick. If he's managed to cross a Neo with an O. burle-marxii or similar species, then I want to see it, as that has been one of my goals too.

I like the colors on your pup!
bromadams
Original Author
15 years ago
Lisa, sorry, no pic, but I do think the plant will be registered in a few months. Is it possible that there is a pic in Ron's book? I'm sorry to say that I don't believe that I have his book: "The Book of Bromeliads and Hawaiian Tropical Flowers".

Here are 2 of 3 of the results of my attempts to do bigeneric crosses with Orthophytum "Warren Loose'. These guys are tiny and I've added some fert pellets and they may be helping, but these guys have no lust for life.

I've come to the conclusion that there are some "universal donors". I've got 2 neos that seem to cross with anything reasonable. Are they the best choices? No, but I always seem to end up using them just in case nothing else works and then wind up with just them working.

{{gwi:446974}}
LisaCLV
15 years ago
Ron's book came out in 2000, so it's not in there. Don't be sorry you don't have it. Apart from some very nice photos by Iolanda Marquardt and others, there's no reason to own it, IMO. I'll wait and see if it gets registered.

Are your seedlings from Warren Loose pollinated with a Neo? So far they look just like other Ortho seedlings, but time will tell.
bromadams
Original Author
15 years ago
Hula Girl has been around for a while. I wasn't sure how old it was, but I guess not 10 years old.

I had no choice, it was neos or nothing. I think I got 24 seeds and only 3 germinated so my guess is they are not selfs, but that may be wishful thinking.

Are Orthos known to be slow growers from seed?
LisaCLV
15 years ago
Orthos are somewhat slower than Neos, and definitely slower than Aechmeas or Bills. They're faster than Vrieseas though, and once they get some size on them they tend to take off.