I'd be interested to find out too, Yong. I think A.'Del Mar' is much bluer than your pictures, but don't know about A. 'Blue Tango'. What about A. 'Shelldancer'
B_A

Hi Yong,

Sorry I can't help you with the ID, but what ever it is, it's a beautiful, well grown plant and you should be proud of it.

Thanks for sharing, all the best, Nev.

Thats definitely not 'Shelldancer' ,it could be 'Blue Tango' both plants do not photograph as blue as what they are, there is not a huge difference in 'Del Mar' and 'Blue Tango' the former has less flowers on the spike ,but its very nice either way ,good photos to,Jack

Hi Yong,
The first photo of Aec Del Mar on the fcbs photo index looks like a very close match.

Cheers, Todd

Here is a link that might be useful: Aechmea 'Del Mar' on fcbs

Hi,
there is another one, Ae. Blue Rain, commonly sold here in Europe as houseplant. Absolutely tender for me, unfortunately.

Tomas

Here is a link that might be useful: Blue Rain

Yong, I don't have either cultivar but I saw them both together in Bullis' lobby display at the 2007 Bromeliad Extravaganza (see link below). It's kind of hard to see the difference from the photo, but Del Mar is the shorter, more compact one in the front, and the taller, more intensely blue spikes in the back are Blue Tango. Based on that, I'd say you have Del Mar.

Shelldancer is an early Yamamoto cross of Ae. fendleri and dichlamydea v. trinitensis. Undoubtedly both DM and BT share this parentage too, but are more select clones. Blue Rain looks like it falls into the same category. These two species have quite an affinity for each other and cross easily. We have tons of seed grown plants from the same cross (insect pollinated) which we use for cut flowers. They can be somewhat variable but all have the same basic look.

Blue Tango has the most intense blue coloration of any clone I've seen, though. I wanted to get one but was advised that the foliage is very prone to disease. Del Mar is reportedly much better in this regard, and the short spike makes it suitable for pot culture, but not what I'm looking for in a cut flower. Guess I'll stick with the seedlings for now. ;-)

Here is a link that might be useful:

Hi Lisa ,i have 'Blue Tango'growing out in the open here in my back yard but the foliage seems to have no problems at all,and yes its very intense in colour,you do see plants here labelled both ways for the same plant ,i would like to cross 'shell dancer' with 'blue tango' as the former is very vigorous and has the best spike out of the three,and as i'm only a hobbyist the height of a plant/spike does not worry me

Here is a pic of A. 'Del Mar'. Its not touched up or edited. {{gwi:475430}}
I have A. 'Shelldancer' but haven't seen it flower yet. However, it has a pup!
B_A

Hi guys,

Nice plant Yong, and B_A, the colour in that pic of yours is just stunning. I hope my little baby Del Mar ends up like that. Do you mind if I ask what camera you used for that? Reason for asking is that it seems to have picked up the blue really well - and that is not always easy.

Cheers, Paul

Hi Everyone ,

Thank you for all help and suggestion.

Now I know what plant I have. It should be A.Del Mar. I also have A.Del Mar but It's so young to compare. A.Blue Tango is a blue flower Aechmea I'm looking for. Hope I would get one some day.

Nice shot, Brom_adorer. Your plant is stunning.

Cheers
Yong

Thanks Yong and Paul. I just used a digital Fuji finepix S5800 camera on the macro setting Paul. The same plant this year, when it flowered, is not anywhere near as intense in colour. The plant recieves morning sun and after lunch shade, and is kept fairly dry by an overhead palm canopy.
I recently purchased one for myself, not from this particular plant, and hope that it will give me something as close to this. Else I'll have to go and beg one off the owner!
Yong, the leaves on yours look so lush and healthy!
B_A

Hi, Your picture is of Del Mar. The leaf shape is different, wider and shorter. Del Mar is regarded as the poor man's Blue Tango (in price only). Both are stunning. Blue Tango has a more intense blue. Have attached photos of both and an extra Blue Tango phot which shows the leaf shape (though the flower is not as nice). Good news is that Del Mar is a good pupper - 7 or more pups per plant while Blue Tango gets one or two First and last phot of Blue Tango, middle one of Del Mar .{{gwi:475432}}
{{gwi:475434}}
{{gwi:475435}}

this is a Aec Del mar