Guzmania diffusa
Does anyone grow this species? I was looking through some old copies of the Bromeliad Society Journal from July/August 1977, and a beautiful photo of this in flower in habitat was on the cover, and the article said it was first described by Lyman Smith in 1948. It is native to Columbia and Ecuador at 8500 to 10000 feet, so it would appear that it might be cold hardy enough to grow in the San Francisco Bay Area. At the time of the article it was apparently available in the trade, but I haven't seen it around here in the SF Bay Area. Anyone growing this, how it does outdoors as a landscape plant in a cool maritime mediterranean climate with lows down to 25F at worst, and typically only 29/30F in winter?
I am a sucker for big blooming, outdoor hardy bromeliads for landscaping, and am able to get Portea petropoliteana var extensa to bloom here in Berkeley. This Guzmania looks like it could be another one to add to Aechmea bromeliifolia, A. distichantha, A. caudata, A. kertesziae, A. cylindrata, A. ornata, etc that are all very to grow outdoors year round here by the SF Bay.
Thanks in advance for any info on this...
David, aka Bahia
LisaCLV
bahiaOriginal Author
LisaCLV
philofan