You have a Tillandsia cyanea, a favorite species of bromiliad. Knowing the specific kind you have is essential to being able to care for it properly. Bromiliads comprise a very large family, and like all families, the members have some broad similarities as well as significant differences. Think about it...when you look at your own siblings or your offspring, do you wonder what planet they call come from? Unlike other bromiliads, I'll recommend that you investigate methods to secure your "Pink Quill" (common name) in that pot. Growing in a potting medium does not come naturally to Tillandsias and this one is no exception. It would have been fine and happy if planted in something like an orchid mix. Epiphitic bromiliads such as tillandias are often called 'air plants'. That is because they live up in the trees or cliffs and collect moisture and necessary nutrients in specialized hair-like cells called trichomes. Trichomes, for epiphytes, can be located all along the leaves but especially towards the middle. The foliage is adapted to steer any rain or even condensed mist towards the center. Get a plant mister and some distilled water. You will simply need to keep the mister filled with water and spray your plant thoroughly every couple of days. Watering and feeding at the roots is far less important than the frequent foliage misting. Yes, the plant will need fertilization which is also accomplished by misting. Never use fish oil or other such fertilizers on your plant, but a simple, water soluble product that yo can mix at a very low rate. By the way, most bromiliads are purchased for the colorful bracts surrounding what are usually insignificant blooms. The spike you are disappointed in IS what this bromiliad is all about. You could look a pictures of a hundred flowering bromiliads and the story is exactly the same: the colorful, exotic part we are all attracted to are modified leaves surrounding the flower....they are called bracts. Many different plants have very colorful bracts that disguise the puniness of their floral display. Poinsettias and Dogwoods are two that pop into my mind immediately. It is unlikely that you will ever see more than one or two of those bright little florets emerge from the bracts. I'll link you to the google images page so that you can see a few gazillion examples just like yours. Enjoy your bromiliad while it is blooming. Who knows how long this period might last, since your plant was artificially forced to bloom. It might be several months! Towards the end of the bloom period, you may begin to see small divisions at the base of your plant. Allow these to grow a bit before carefully excising them carefully from the mother plant. The collecting of bromiliads is a HUGE pasttime. Part of that reason is that the family is so diverse. We have to research the requirments of each new plant we bring into the collection, as the care requirements are likely to be unique from others. But they aren't for everybody, that's for sure. Here is a link that might be useful: Other 'Pink Quill' bromiliads just like yours!

Picked up some red and white striped, heart-shaped ravioli and their wonderful meatballs (not heart-shaped) from the little pasta factory in town. Will make a nice dinner--served with salad, and chocolate cupcakes. Then next weekend, I'll take him to a restaurant he's been wanting to try. He'll probably either bring me a plant, or will offer to take me out to dinner someplace I like. Got him a wonderful card, of course.

Well some knows how crazy I was over choc cover cherries.Just ask jenni.It would be nothing for me to open a box and have it gone it mins.But When they had to place the stint in my heart I gave up the choc.But when I see it in the stores its hard to not just get me a box and think just one box want hurt me.But I know it would get me started again and I would keep going back getting several boxes.So I have been good and I just let it pass.I do snick in some M&M's now and then. Now this makes me want and I will crave the choc cover cherries.The heart dr said choc or caffine makes my heart race.

Since this thread has popped back up I should say that DA did replace the damaged roses and the replacements are awesome. I haven't seen any of the DA body bag type roses at our Whole Foods lately or anywhere else. If I saw some I would probably get some even though I definitely don't need anymore DA roses this year lol. I went ahead and ordered Lady of Shallot from DA because I really wanted that one and hadn't found it elsewhere grafted.