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Cool tolerance/requirements of certain bromeliads

williamr
15 years ago

Here in Central Fla. we are about to get an extended period of temperatures well down into the 40s at night. This got me wondering which brom. genera in general actually prefer cool winter nights(as opposed to nights in the greenhouse which would be 60-70)? I was wondering specifically about Catopsis as a whole? Any thoughts on other genera? I am definitely going to leave out my tillandsias as they get this frequently in the wild. Thanks in advance.

Comments (9)

  • bromadams
    15 years ago

    There is this article on fbcs, but I don't know how reliable it is.

  • philofan
    15 years ago

    Here's a list of some hardy San Francisco Bay Area bromeliads which might be helpful.

    Here is a link that might be useful: PDF

  • hotdiggetydam
    15 years ago

    If in doubt protect it

  • tomas
    15 years ago

    Many of the genera that grow in southern Brazil get a lot of cold in winter, whether they prefer it, I do not know. Also the species that grow at high altitudes like it cold during the night, but the whole year long, like Tillandsia imperialis.

    Nothing that couldn't take few days in the forties come to my mind, my Tillandsia dyeriana is still outside and it looks like it doesn't mind. Alcantarea imperialis actualy grows better for me when the (dry) heat is over.

    Tomas

  • kerry_t_australia
    15 years ago

    I grow several catopsis species outdoors, and find them more cold-sensitive than most tillandsias. I have lost a few due to cool winter temps. I still grow them outdoors, usually on thin branches of trees well above the ground, with the overhead canopy as slight protection.

    K

  • williamr
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Thank you for the responses everybody. The articles do give a general idea of cold tolerance. I guess Tillandsias will be fine until it gets close to freezing. Kerry, which Catopsis species are you growing? It is my favorite genus and I have 9 species so far. Which did you lose and how cool were the temps that did them in? Sorry about all the questions.
    -Michael

  • kerry_t_australia
    15 years ago

    Hey Michael,
    These are the catopsis species I grow/grew:
    subulata, berteroniana, (supposed)hahnii, floribunda, compacta, morreniana, and the tiny nutans.
    I have not wintered my recently-acquired nutans yet. My compacta was kept in my enclosed green house until the Spring, and now attached to a tree branch outdoors.
    I lost floribunda in unprecedented -8C, and the (supposed) hahnii would get slightly damaged in -1C, and totally carked it (bar one small pup) in -8C.
    My winters usually get occasional brief periods in the early am of -1C, but are fairly protected in the micro-climate of my treed garden. I also lost several tillandsias in the once-in-my-lifetime (I hope!) two long nights of -8C, but they are not bothered by the occasional -1C.

    Which catopsis species do you grow, and under what conditions Michael?

    Cheers,
    Kerry

  • williamr
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Wow -8C, I would think that would kill just about any bromeliad. So far I have C. berteroniana, C. compacta, C. juncifolia, C. nutans, C. hahnii, C. nitida, C. morreniana, C. subulata, and an unknown species from Mexico that I believe is C. wangerinii. Since these are mostly smaller I am probably babying them more than I need to. I have been keeping them in mostly full sun(except the nutans and juncifolia). Also, I've been taking them into my small greenhouse when temps fall below about 9 C, and have been misting them daily when it doesn't rain. They would probably be fine with temps between 4-8 C at night, since I've seen pictures of them growing at high elevations in S. America. This genus really appeals to me for some reason and I would eventually like to collect them all. Haven't yet found floribunda though.

  • bromadams
    15 years ago

    I don't know anybody that grows these. I'll have to ask. The picture of C. subulata in the Baensch book is appealing.

    Hey, how come no bigenerics with catopsis? xCatmania sound interesting.

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