I have several Guzmanias at home now that are turning odd colors (mostly red, and mostly just at the leaf tips, though some of the newest leaves are reddish further down), but they did this last year, too. I got hopeful that maybe they were about to bloom, but they didn't. (And if they were intending to bloom, red would be a funny color for them to pick, since they came from plants that bloomed yellow and orange.) It went away during the spring and summer. Not likely to be a temperature thing either time: last year they were in an apartment, far from any sources of cold, and this year they're in the plant room, which would be cold if not for the two space heaters, ceiling fan, two heat vents, and two box fans in there with them. In both cases, the temperature stays around 72F/22C all the time, though there's more fluctuation now than there was last year. Also probably not a nutrient thing, since I didn't change anything w/r/t fertilizer -- they've been getting the same type, in the same amounts, and the color has appeared, then vanished, then appeared again. I'd been assuming it was related to the light intensity -- the first coloring up happened when I moved them to a shelf with bright artificial light, went away during the crazy post-move period where all the plants just kinda got shoved into the living room, stayed gone when they went to a brighter spot on a low shelf in the plant room, and then re-appeared when they were moved to a still-brighter location on a window-height shelf. I don't remember any of them developing the leaf texture shown in the photo, though. What color bloom did the parent plant have?

Bromeliad flowers last longer than on most plants but eventually will start turning brown. You can then cut it off with scissors or a sharp blade. That plant will not bloom again but it will send out offsets (pups) near the base of the leaves, and these may flower.

R...you have a couple of things going on. 1. Usually tip burn is caused by salts in your water that has built up in your soil. This is common...and very seldom a major problem. Flush out your soil real well....then mildly fertilize after that. Also, it appears to me that you may have some insect munching on the leaves. Spray for that.

Hi Zen Man, Yes I have to purchase the plants. I am basically a lazy gardener when it comes to annuals. My garden Is at about 7000 feet in the mountains of SW Colorado. Our growing season is so short, and I have had such bad luck starting seeds, I have resigned myself to purchasing annuals. I do have a small measure of success this summer...I managed to start some Morning Glory seeds. The vines are growing, but no flowers yet. Even if the flowers don't show, the vines are pretty. I prefer perennials, and have success with them, though I purchase the plants too. My garden is 25 years old and fairly large. The older I get, the more money I am willing to spend. I admire, and respect those of you who are successful with starting seeds, don't get me wrong! I am just not willing to wait... Thanks for your input! I love these forums, there is so much to learn!