October 13th
10:00am, Casa Del Prado Room 104
Our program will be in two parts.
Mosquitoes and Bromeliads
Our speaker will be Aviva Goldmann from the Entomology Department at UC Riverside. She will tell us about the research that she and others are doing on the increasingly important problem of how mosquitos and bromeliads interact. But don’t be scared that this will be a highly technical problem that you won’t understand. It will be quite practical and Aviva will be looking for feedback from members on what they have seen and what they want to know.
Names of Bromeliad Cultivars
Sometimes when we look at a cultivar name like ‘Amazing Grace’ we ask ‘Now, where did that name come from?’ This one is well known to many of us as the plant named after Grace Goode, the Australian hybridizer. However, there are hundreds, if not thousands of others that require background work to uncover the history and the reason for the name selected. Three cultivars, each named after somebody, will be shown and described by several of our members. But you won’t find out who they are until they and their fascinating histories as well as cultivation tips are shown and described in the meeting.
Neoregelia ‘Amazing Grace’
In September we were treated to a demonstration on mounting Tillandsias. Our presenter, Dave Kennedy, gave us lots of practical and useful tips!
Tillandsia tectorum
Tillandsia ionantha
hybrid Cryptanthus
Neoregelia 'De Rolf'
Bromeliads
pronounced broh-MEE-le-ads
. . . flowering plants belonging to the plant family Bromeliaceae.
There are more than 3,000 species and hundreds of hybrids.
In a Nutshell...Bromeliads are members of a plant family known as Bromeliaceae (bro-meh-lee-AH-say-eye). The family contains over 3000 described species in approximately 56 genera. The most well known bromeliad is the pineapple. The family contains a wide range of plants including some very un-pineapple like members such as Spanish Moss (which is neither Spanish nor a moss). Other members resemble aloes or yuccas while still others look like green, leafy grasses.
In general they are inexpensive, easy to grow, require very little care, and reward the grower with brilliant, long lasting blooms and ornamental foliage. They come in a wide range of sizes from tiny miniatures to giants. They can be grown indoors in cooler climates and can also be used outdoors where temperatures stay above freezing. |
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Just a few of the many genera in the bromeliad world...
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Aechmea
Alcantarea Ananas Billbergia Bromelia Cannistrum Cryptanthus Dyckia Guzmania Hechtia |
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Hohenbergia
Neoregelia Nidularium Portea Orthophytum Pitcairnia Puya Quesnelia Sincoraea Tillandsia Vriesea |