I have 31 Imperialis rubra :-)

Now 9 months old:
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Sander

I only recently got some Alcantareas. Some of their bottom leaves are damaged in their travels, so here are top views of
Alc imperialis Rubra:
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Alc vinicolor
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Both of them still have a lot of growing to do, but hopefully I will get some more colour on them this coming summer!
Japie

Got this "green" oderata from Terri Bert. Not sure if it really is oderata.

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Ahh yes ...the stately Alcantarea imperialis, I read somewhere that they are known in Brazil as "Emperor of the Mountains". Imperialis is latin for emperor, and these plants were named in honour of Don Pedro II the second Emperor of Brazil. OK, history lesson over here are some photos.

Alc. imperialis. This is the true green form, and is now quite rare, with the influx of nursery grown Rubra for the lanscape trade, this green form is now only found in a few local collections.

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An 8 year old Alcantarea imperialis Rubra, standing guard over a group of neo compacta.

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This is Alc. imperialis Rubra Ajax and is probably similar to Ricks discolour, it is the one with a flower spike forming.

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And a pic of the same plant taken just after sunset, to show off the discolour leaves.

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Great looking plants all round, Sander I hope you are living on a large size house block for when all 31 grow up.

I've had Alc imperialis Rubra and vinicolor on my wish list, looks like I'll have to add the green form of imperialis as well.

Devo, your garden looks absolutely superb.

Does anyone feed their Alcantareas? I don't feed mine but think that maybe I should.

Rick

Great to see all the photos of these plantsany more out there?

Sander, your seedlings are doing very well for only 9 mths of age, & Japie, yours are already starting to look very much at homeIm sure alcantarea benefit from the additional light reflected off the pool, & as they have no spines, theyre ideal for pool side landscaping. Rick, Ive been told that these plants do respond very well to feeding with an organic fish based fertilizer. If feeding heavily, you will lose a little colour in plants like imperialis Rubra, or vinicolor, but as they mature, the feeding can be reduced, to allow the plants true colours to emerge.

Bromadams, the silver banding, & turned down leaf tips could indicate your plant is closer to extensa, than odorata, as alc. odorata normally has pointed leaf tips, heres a photo showing the green & silver forms of odorata. (not my plants btw, but I would really, really like to have one of those mature silver odorata in my garden!)

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This is one of my favorites of the green alcantarea Alc. glaziouana.
These plants are a feature year round, even now, after a cold wet winter, when the palms & ornamental bananas are showing signs of cold damage, these alcantarea look as good as ever.

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Hey all - great show so far! I just love, love, love alcantareas!
Yes Sander, that's pretty amazing growth for just 9 months - do you feed them heaps?
Rick - yours is also a beauty. You might be interested to know that what was initially grown and sold in Oz as Alc. imperialis discolour, has now been unofficially renamed Alc. imperialis purpurea. It came via seed from N.Z. If grown in full sun the whole plant, top and bottom, goes a silvery dark red - like what the New Zealanders call Alc. imperialis rubra. I'll post some pics of mine after I take more today.
Japie - I really like that irregular barring on your imp. rubra. The ones with reddish tones certainly colour better in strong light, but actually they colour best in winter. I think it's to do with the temperature change between day and night.
Andrew - no doubt about it. You N.Z.folk definitely grow alcantareas well! You have some beautiful specimens there - a pleasure to see in the landscape as you have them.

There has been much confusion on the various species of this genus. I have picked the brains of a few Aussies who have not only traveled to Brazil and seen them in their natural habitat, but they have also researched and gone into the nitty-gritty, including dissecting flower parts and always comparing.

Above Rio, on granite boulders, various species grow, and many are natural hybrids. One large granite boulder might house one species, while the next will grow the same species with distinct differences. They are an interpretive nightmare, it seems.

I grow quite a few different varieties - actually spent most of my retirement fund on them!

Here are some.

Alcantarea glaziouana (the 'usual' type) This has long been sold (incorrectly) in Oz as Alc. reginae alba
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Alc. geniculata (often wrongly sold in Oz as Alc. reginae)
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Alcantarea group. Left - glaziouana (dark pink bracted variety), back - brasiliensis (also known in Oz as Cairns Green), right - vinicolor (Hawaiian clone)
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Alc. heloisae
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Alc. burle-marxii
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I have a few others, different varieties of vinicolor, and imperialis, and those two crossed, extensa, plus some more obscure ones. I'll get busy with my camera.

Rick, and any other Aussie alc. lovers - for your heart's desire - LOOK!
11th October 2008 - Stockade Nursery Open Day 9-12AM 70 Wades Rd, Bellmere, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

Australia's largest range of Alcantarea species and forms over - 20 available. Giant Neoregelias and Tank Tillandsias. EFTPOS and Credit Card facilities available

Cheers,
Kerry

I think my odorata is more likely to be regina. I do have 4 of those "rare" green imperialis seedlings that are just over a year old.

Yup, I feed them 50% orchid fert once or twice a week.

I repotted them a few weeks ago with Osmocote and they still get the occasional fert mix spayed on them.

They allready have some grass pups.

Sander

Andrew and Sander thanks for the replies about fertiliser.

Bromadams - your plant could also be a geniculata, the scurf looks very similar to the picture on the biotech website below.

Kerry - thanks for the information about the unofficial name change and Stockdale open day, you have some lovely plants as usual.

Rick

Here is a link that might be useful: biotech

I wonder whether this is a species of Alcantarea. I acquired it on ebay as Vriesea gigantea (we do have a lot of fantasy here in Europe!). It has already some grass pups.
Tomas

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Hi Tomas - yes, your supposed Vr.gigantea is definitely an alcantarea. It looks like a form of imperialis. You can remove those grass pups while they are still very small. With the aid of fertiliser, they grow quite quickly.

Sander - what is the NPK ratio of your orchid fertiliser?

Re feeding - Bruce Dunstan of Stockade Nursery says he can never feed his alcantareas too much. He uses a general gardening fert, with quite a high nitrogen ratio, and his plants are huge, colourful and beautiful. He regularly upsizes their pots as they grow, with the largest specimens growing in about a size 500ml wide and quite deep pot. Once they get to a marketable landscaping size, the fertiliser is reduced - as Andrew suggested. I am feeding mine more now, but my older ones didn't get much before.

I've been busy with my camera and downloading more varieties of the alcantareas I grow in my garden. Some are in built-up mounds on the ground, and some are in pots. Several that I have been growing for many years got horribly damaged last winter in -8 C, but the new growth has improved their appearance. All bar a couple in the garden survived this winter without a blemish. The coldest temps this year here were very briefly about -1 C.

Alc. extensa (foreground)
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Alc. 'Arno' - not had this long, and he got a bit of cold damage recently. This is a form of imperialis which is supposed to grow to mammoth proportions!
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Alc. 'Grace' (foreground)
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Alc. heloisae - these recent photos were taken 5 months after the first pics I showed earlier on this thread. I love the form and fullness of this one...
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Alc. 'Wardell Orange'
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Alc. imperialis v. purpurea (was discolour) - this one grown in dappled shade
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Another Alc. imperialis v. purpurea - this one grows in much stronger light.
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Alc. imperialis rubra (so called in Oz). This one grows in full sun.
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Another Alc. imperialis rubra. This one is about 10 years old, and had some cold damage last year, but new growth is strong and healthy. It is very big!
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And another Alc. imperialis rubra, same age and size as previous one.
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Alc. vinicolor x imperialis. This one is supposed to get all dark red when more mature, but I really like the irregular barring at this stage. I took these photos at different times of the day (yesterday), hence the variation in colour.
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Alc. imperialis type - 'Skotak'. This is my absolute favourite. The boys 'in the know' refer to it as "the purple cabbage", due to its very wide leaves and form.
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I have a few more different ones to show, particularly differing clones of Alc. vinicolor.

Stay tuned. BBL.

Cheers,
Kerry

My orchid fert NPK is 5+6+7.

Sander

Kerry,
Lovely plants, if you are worried about the cold damage maybe you need to store them at my place in warmer Brisbane ;)

Rick

I found this nice sized heloisae with attending frog at the American Orchid Society facility.

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Kerry, you really do have a great collection of alcs there, and good to see the aussies are trying to I.D the various clones of imp Rubra.

Where did your imp x vinicolor come from? Is someone doing a bit of alc hybrizing over there? Ive got a couple of clones from that cross, & one has really coloured up well with the warmer days temps we are now getting.

That alc. heloisae is an elegant plant, and one Ive not seen over here. After seeing these pics, the FCBS reference does not do the plant justice at all.

LOL Rick - you got a spare pantechnicon?

Thanks for the compliments all.

Andrew - I do believe our three Aussie blokes are the world authorities on alcantareas of all species, and they are still nutting them out. I should also include Arno King in that group (ex-pat N.Zealander).
I'm not sure, but I think the Alc. vinicolor x imps, and vice verse, came from collected seed in the wild, as well as from Hawaii via Cheryl Basic, via Sharon Peterson. Bruce Dunstan of Stockade Nursery has several large specimens. One is like 'Tarawera', and the other from Stockade is the one I have pictured above. Bruce may have done some crosses as well - not sure. The ones via Hawaii are more cherry red, taking more after its vinicolor parent, and also stunning.

As promised, here are the pics of my other alcantareas. I have 5 variants of Alc. vinicolor.

Alc. vinicolor A.
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Alc. vinicolor B
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Alc. vinicolor C. This one (in foreground) is mostly green for most of the year, except in Winter when it turns maroon/red from the ends of the leaves.
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Alc. vinicolor D (very similar to B)
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Alc. vinicolor E - from Tropiflora, and a bit disappointing as yet...
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Alc. vinicolor x imperialis. I had two of these before which were turning a brilliant cherry red, until I lost them winter of last year. I'm trying with it again, and this is a more recent purchase, via Cheryl B, via Hawaii. Not much colour there yet...
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Alc. vinicolor D (foreground), Alc. imperialis v. purpurea (behind)
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And finally (!) - Alc. 'Visconde de Maua'. This species is thus far named after the area from which it was collected, in Brazil. The 'boys in the know' suspect it is the TRUE Alc. regina.
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Okay - b'dah b'dah b'dah...that's all folks!

Cheers,
Kerry

somebody help me...i need info to alcantareas species,i buy this plants in puerto rico is not available ibuy orchid and water lili in tailandia and australia so is not imposible buy in this country,thanks.

Gasping at the beauty !

Love all the photos
I am relatively new to the pleasure of growing Bromeliads
The photos show that for the most part you are growing in somewhat shaded gardens.
Dramatic and carefree so it seems to me, these plants are.
I am a Canadian who winters, the past 12 years in the south of Florida in the U.S.
Has been a learning experience, my gardens here. Plants need to manage more or less on their own for six months and Bromliads are one of the plants that seem to fit right in with my gardens

I yet do not know the names of various Bromliads but Alcantareas seem to be, my latest finds

In Florida there has been a housing bust, the past four or so years.
About three weeks ago I came across an abandonded to be new home subdivision.
THe roads and sidewalks in place . the landscaping. Was well done but no homes where ever built.

At any rate in driving in through the front gates I noticed the gorgeous landscaping Well I could see the plans where well done
Much had not survived but there they are, Alcantareas I would say
Several different plants of them.

Had to go home and get a shovel but I learned when I had returned to the site that it was just as simple to pull them out.

Have been back three times now and perhaps that is enough.
The plants I brought home had to be trimmed and tidied up

Had a couple well one especially very good rainfall, and the plants are looking terrific

I do have a new digital camera but, do not know how to use it nor put the photos on to this forum

One of those older gals I am and sometimes not with it as much as I should be
But, have a 16 year old grandson coming to visit his gran for almost two weeks. Will have him show me how to use this camera

Would love to put some pictures onto this forum so you might tell me just what I have found.

w .

Hi everyone,

Diane V - You sure hit the nail on the head when you said "One of those older gals I am and sometimes not with it as much as I should be".

What is it you don't understand about "Thou shall not steal"?

I wouldn't worry about learning how to post pic's here as you'll have plently of time in gaol to learn after the cops lock you up for looting!

Not only do you thieve, but you admit it on the www for the whole world to see.

Did you ever stop to think about the poor bloody landscaper? If the subdivision has gone "bust" it's quite likely he/she probably hasn't even been paid and it's his/her plants you stole.

Best you go back to Canada before the cops come knocking and instead of coming back to Florida for winter, stay in Canada and hibernate!

......... and I thought all Canadians were nice people.

All the best, Nev.

Hello Nev

Good to hear there are still some honest decent upstanding citizens out there such as youself Nev not unlike this disgusting self admitted thief who stole from a construction site/housing development. I for one am a person who lost hundreds of thousands of dollars due to builders/developers company collapses to find that others luted those sites thinking they were fair game, well they're "bloody well not lady" so I hope you get the message here and return the goods, take a photo of them back in place and post here with an apology.

Hey Guys, first post, and I thought i'd revive this thread to show you my magnificent Alcantarea Braziliana in full fantastic out-of-this-world bloom.

PS: I live in Kuranda near Cairns QLD, Australia.

- Cyrille.

Hi everyone.

Cyrille - Kuranda is what I would call "God's Country" ever since I once went there on a North Queensland holiday.

What a beautiful topical paradise, it started at the railway station which was adorned with stag horns and ferns of every type. As we walked up from the station we were confronted with more tropical plants but what impressed me the most were the fascinating little Sunbirds which appeared quite tame and had a nest in a low tree beside the path on which we were walking.

When we visited a friend's orchid collection I saw more Sunbirds, this time they had nested inside his shade house and went about their business oblivious to a couple of southern N.S.W. visitors standing no more than a couple of feet away.

At that time I was into growing orchids as a hobby and unfortunately missed an opportunity of checking out the many bromeliad growers in the area and consequently I didn't see such magnificent plants such as your wonderful Alcantarea Braziliana. It's truly a great looking plant and thanks for sharing.

Thank You very much :-)

Yes sunbirds are everywhere around here. They're the first ones out at 5am to get the pollen off the alcantareas :)

Hello Everyone!

What gorgeous pictures of all those Alcantareas; they are truly an amazing plant, I have about 5 different types in my garden but am making room to get many more as we continue to landscape our gardens; something I am really looking forward to.

Take Care & Happy Gardening!

Trish

Hey Trish, they're the best :-)

What types do you have? any photos?

-Cyrille

Hello Everyone!

Cyrille we are nearly neighbours as I live in Townsville, QLD, Australia, only a stone throw away; how great is that.

I will take some pictures on the weekend of my Alcantareas and give names then otherwise I might get them wrong except for 'Silver Plum' as that one is hard to get confused with my others.

Take Care & Happy Gardening!

Trish

The Alc at the top of this post was the first Alc that I owned; here is a pic of it 7 years on -

Some alcs around my garden; they were easier to look after when I only had a few...

Brisbane has a more southcentral Florida climate then Southern California. The wet climate does Broms great.

Here are a few more sitting in my garden. There is no such thing as "having enough Alcantareas"!

I recently acquired my first Alc. Odorata, and also some small "Lansendt Blue-Grey". My dream plant would be an xVriecantarea Julietta.

A mix of Extensa, Rubra, Purpurea, Peter Tristram & Skotak (in the distance)

Ridiculously amazing Alc. Braziliana in bloom

Alc. P.I.T.A next to a young pink Achmea Blanchetiana.

Forgot about my blue-grey Extensa

Hi everyone.

Rick - It's good to see you posting once again and I hope we see you more often in the future.

Cyrille - Your Alc. P.I.T.A gets the cigar from me; an amazing looking plant. Not being very well versed in "things alcantarea" I would love to know what P.I.T.A. stands for if anyone can tell me I'd appreciate it.

All the best, Nev.

Nicely grown collection Cyrille.

Nev,

PITA stands for Pain in the a@#$, the story goes something along the lines that it was collected by Chester but the plant was halfway up of down a cliff and was a pain in the a@#$ to get to.

Cheers,

Rick

Alc Landsendt Blue Gray is one of my favourite green Alcs, unfortunately it doesn't produce any offsets post flowering. xVriecantarea Julietta is a stunning looking plant on BCR, I don't know why it's listed as a bigeneric with both parents listed as Volcano Mist which is listed as an Alcantarea on one of the Hawaiian nursery sites.

Hi everyone.

Rick - Thanks for the definition of the name "PITA", I'd have never guessed that one.

It's interesting what you say about xVriecantarea 'Julietta', maybe a question to Geoff about why it's classified as a xVriecantarea when both parents are just shown as 'Volcano's Mist' with no identification of what genus they are.

It appears that 'Volcano's Mist' is unregistered anyway as I've put it into the BCR search engine for Alcantarea and Vriesea and came up with a zero both times.

Does anyone know why this is?

All the best, Nev.