Hi everyone. Lars - As Gonz says, your plant is a Neo., but just to add a little bit more, those coloured leaf tips are commonly referred to here in Australia as "fingernails", and depending on the light the plant is grown under, they can sometimes appear almost iridescent. There are several maroon leaved Neo's with spots that show this trait and it's thought to have originally been introduced into the breeding lines of hybrids from the species Neo. spectabilis which also has these markings. Neo spectabilis growing in a garden All the best,Nev.

Hi everyone. Ackerman - My comments are based on my experience with the Guzmanias I grow here on the South East Coast of Australia and may not necessarily work for you. I have found that Guzmanias benefit from a stronger fertilising regime than most other bromeliads, however different growers have different ideas no matter where they are and its largely a case of seeing what works for you. There are numerous fertilisers available and many have different strengths and compositions, and as you look through what’s available it’s easy to become confused as to what’s best for your particular plants. The three main ingredients in fertilisers are Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium and this is what they do: Nitrogen is for the green foliage. Phosphorus is to promote strong roots and shoots. Potassium is for fruit and flowers; (It also regulates water and nutrient movement in the cells). These three main ingredients are shown on the packaging as a percentage in an N:P:K ratio. Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K) and there is sometimes a list of the trace elements as well. It’s important to know there are 3 micro elements that can be harmful to bromeliads and should be no more than “trace elements” (present only in minute amounts) in the fertiliser. For example, excess Boron (B) will cause leaf tip burn, Zinc (Zn) and Copper (Cu) will kill bromeliads at higher levels. I have found that like many of my other bromeliads, Guzmanias benefit from a higher percentage of Potassium (K) than Nitrogen (N) and with a low Phosphorus (P) level. High levels of phosphorus can cause leaf tip burn so this is something to be aware of. All bromeliads require Magnesium (Mg) which must be in the form of magnesium sulphate (MgSO4). This is usually in the slow release fertilisers, but if not, it can be added to a soluble fertiliser, if necessary, as Epsom Salts. I add a controlled release fertiliser (Osmocote High K) to the potting mix and because I have found Guzmanias also respond well to liquid fertilisers, each couple of weeks and I will also use a half strength foliar fertiliser to provide this. I have found this will give nice healthy looking green leaves with a larger and more colourful inflorescence than usual. I use various types of foliar fertilisers and change them around regularly. The ones I use are “Phostrogen” N:P:K is 14%:10%:/27%), "Thrive" N:P:K is (14%:2.6%:/21%), "Flourish" N:P:K is (16%/4%/25.7%) and "Manutec Bloom Booster” N:P:K is (6.19:14.6:16.8). All of the above are readily available commercially in Australia. I hope this may be of some help. All the best, Nev,

Hi everyone - I don't usually respond to questions on here unless I have an answer; however seeing that ahelaumakani hasn't had a single response to the question of Billbergia ID since posting, I thought I should at least offer some advice on where to look for a possible answer. The most basic step to starting a search for the ID of an unknown plant you have, is to go back to the place where you first got it (if known), maybe you will find the answer there; maybe not. If not ask brom growers in your local area if they know the ID as it’s a chance it may have come from one of them initially. If no one can ID the plant there’s no other way to go other than painstakingly search through the many pictures of species and hybrids available. The Bromeliad Cultivar Register is the best place to start looking for hybrids as it lists every hybrid that was ever registered. It can be found at: http://registry.bsi.org/ Another great site which lists species as well as cultivars is the Florida Council of Bromeliad Societies photo indices which can be found at http://fcbs.org/pictures.htm Between them, these sites carry many pictures and one day when you have a lot of time to spare, you could start a very long journey looking through them trying to find your plant. Even if you aren’t successful, the time won’t be wasted as I’m sure you’ll pick up a lot of useful information along the way. All the best, Nev.

Hi everyone. Sheila - You are correct; you plant is a Billbergia and possibly a hybrid. As for its name, sorry but I can’t help you as there are several similar looking Billbergia hybrids. I have found the best time to divide and re-pot these plants is during late spring when the weather is warming up and plants are starting to grow again after their winter “go slow”. Because of their shape and being taller than many other bromeliads, when first re-potted, they are inclined to topple over until a new root system is established. To prevent this I stake them by equally spacing three wooden chopsticks or thick wooded kebab skewers around the plant. The plant must not be allowed to move otherwise the new roots will be broken off and won’t grow. Billbergias potted three months previously as pups (stakes still in place) I find they do better in a smaller pot than usual, but unfortunately because of their height they are inclined to topple over, so I support mine in wire mesh cradles until established and then I hang them from the shade house roof timbers using plastic hangers. This solves two problems; it stops them toppling over and it also provides access to good light which is essential for them to produce good colour. I find they’ll grow OK without fertilising but if you do chose to fertilise, avoid fertilisers high in Nitrogen as this will rob them of their colour. Check the N.P.K on the label and make sure there is a higher percentage of Potassium than Nitrogen. All the best, Nev.