Good luck with your seedlings, Nev. I found Ae. spectabilis difficult to grow and no longer have it. That species went to the top of my wish list after seeing a picture of the inflorescence on the cover of the Journal many years ago, but I couldn't find anyone growing it. I even wrote to the late John Anderson in Texas (generally recognized as an Aechmea expert) and asked him if he might have some seeds or know where I could get a plant. He told me he couldn't grow it where he was because it prefers a cooler climate and melts in the heat.

I finally did track one down at Bird Rock and put it in the coolest spot I could think of, semi-shaded with a lot of air circulation. I managed to keep it alive long enough to get one bloom out of it, but it gradually went downhill after that. I have to say the inflorescence wasn't quite as breathtaking as the photo had led me to believe, but still nice and airy. I don't recall getting seed set on it, but it was so long ago I'm not sure. I did use its pollen, but the hybrids have never done well for me either.

Hi Splinter

Yes, a spectacular flowering plant, one which I always ensure I have in my garden, I have always grown it shaded, but not deep shade & a little on the drier side, in other words it only gets watered when it rains at my place. Looking forward to the next flowering.

Pinkbroms

I have a few , and they have done well in the wet tropics !
I saw it in flower at Grace Goodes a few years ago .
Also have some hybrids done by Mike Symmons of it crossed with Ae fendleri [done both ways] . And a few of the ones done by the TC lab in BRISBANE . Easy to grow.

Hi Lisa and Pinkbroms, thanks for the quick feedback.

Lisa, it's interesting that the late John Anderson told you that he "couldn't grow it in Texas as it prefers a cooler climate and melts in the heat".... also you found it didn't do well in Hawaii either, which would tend to confirm his initial advice.

However, I read in Anderw Steens' "Bromeliads for the Contemporary Garden" page 63 where he says, "It is quite frost sensitive, but makes a dramatic statement in sub-tropical or tropical gardens".

When I Googled it on the web I read where it comes from venezuela and when I checked the temperature range in that country I found the following on a travel advertisment.... "It is almost always around 30 °C temperature, the main difference is the humidity. During the rainy season which is during the months of May - November and the air is very humid. The best time to travel to Venezuela is in the months of January and February".

Do we have any GW members from Venezuela who can offer advice?

Maybe pinkbroms can help us out with what he's found to be the plant's temperature preferences in his part of Australia. What sort of temperatures do you get where you grow it pinkbroms?

Thanks again, all the best, Nev.

Hi Splinter

Down to 3 deg.C.in winter to around the high 30's - 40's in summer, however I'm just north of Sydney so it is also low humidity,hot & dry in summer, cold & wet in winter. Growing them in a very heavily tree studded garden helped create a nice micro-climate which protected them from any sudden nasties with the weather.

Pinkbroms

Hi aroidiana,
Thanks for your interesting feedback, I think we were both posting at the same time.

All the feedback is very encouraging and I think they will be well worth growing on and I'll post some pictures of their future progress.

Thanks a lot everyone, all the best, Nev.

Nev , they look good without flowering as well , nice and shiney and good colour in right light .