Billbergia nutans
Tropical efflorescence queen ’s tears is a non - parasitical epiphyte in the Bromeliaceae or bromeliad family .
In the state of nature , it clings to tree diagram or rocks , doing no harm to its host , and nourishing itself with rain and airborne constitutive debris .
In gardens in USDA Hardiness Zones 9 to 11 , it is a decorative cosmetic specie . And for those elsewhere , B. nutansis an easy - upkeep houseplant .
Photo by BotBln, Wikimedia Commons, viaCC BY-SA.
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Ourguide to raise bromeliadsoffers a world-wide overview of cultivating various metal money at home .
This clause focuses specifically on grow and caring for queen ’s rip .
Photo by BotBln, Wikimedia Commons, viaCC BY-SA.
Here ’s what we ’ll cover :
What You’ll Learn
have ’s meet this blossoming smasher !
Cultivation and History
Queen ’s tears is native to the waterless climate of eastern coastal Mexico , Central America , most of South America , except for Chile , southern Argentina , and the Windward Islands .
In addition to being a rock- and tree - domicile aerophyte , it uprise on the organically - full-bodied rain forest storey as a ground cover .
Swedish phytologist Carl Peter Thunberg , who prepare under the famed founding father of taxonomic classification , Carl Linnaeus , distinguish theBillbergiagenus to honor the self - taught Swedish plant scientist Gustaf Johan Billberg . It contain 62 specie .
B. nutanswas recognized and named in 1869 by German botanists Wendland and von Regel . “ Nutans ” is Latin for nodding and consult to the arching form of the foliage and efflorescence or flower - have stem .
There is evidence of the hybridization of queen ’s tears dating back to the 1920s .
In 1925 , the American natural scientist Theodore Luqueer Mead supply the Brooklyn Botanic Garden with a specimen of a hybrid he had train by crossbreeding twoBillbergiaspecies , B. nutansandB. zebrina .
Queen ’s tear has a clopping or tufting outgrowth habit with radical that uprise erect , shape a vase - like rose window .
As they mature , the stems prankish outwards to create a falls - like cascade of strappy evergreen gray - green or motley immature leaf with serrated edges . Mature dimensions are 12 to 24 inches tall and wide .
The flower are borne at the last destruction of an arching , hopeful pinkish inflorescence .
They are inside pendent , promising pink bracts that open up to reveal the blooms in all their regal glory . Recurved immature , tubular flower petal sport royal blue margins , and are the intake for coronate this species a queen .
striking stamens laden with rich yellow pollen complete the royal display , standing to attending start from the center of the blossom . Nectar sacs release glistening , sticky droplets when jostle and are Her Majesty ’s “ tear . ”
At approximately 18 to 30 month of historic period , a bromeliad is matured enough to flower .
Each flower lasts a calendar month or more , and after it fades , the attached foliage go bad six to 12 months later on . Bromeliads bloom randomlythroughout the year , with new starting time continually replacing old post - bloom flora .
B. nutansis a water - wise species with mellow drought allowance . Because it is aboriginal to desiccate climes , it has two singular methods of conserve water .
The first method is via is CAM ( crassulacean sulphurous metabolism ) photosynthesis , in which the leaf “ stomata ” or petrol exchange openings remain closed during the 24-hour interval to regulate moisture and assailable at night to release O and take in atomic number 6 dioxide .
In addition , the foliage has hair - like trichomes that aid in retain wet take in through the leave of absence .
Unlike bromeliads that feature flattened , prominent water reservoir in the center of the rosette , the grassy , vase - like foliage of queen ’s tears does not have water system wells , although you may say information to the contrary .
water the ground when the top inch is ironical is all gardeners involve to do to ensure adequate moisture intake .
An vantage of the absence seizure of prominent water reservoirs is that the leafage is n’t as appealing to mosquito .
Queen ’s binge is nontoxic to people and pets and is also known as the “ friendly relationship plant ” because it is easy to propagate and give away , as we ’ll discuss next .
Queen’s Tears Propagation
To grow queen ’s tear , you could set out with seeds , a segmentation of an exist plant , a unfinished - tooth root rhizome , or a nursery potted specimen .
From Seed
While it is potential to gather come from queen ’s tears post - flowering , the seeds may not be practicable or may produce trait different from the parent plant life .
Since these industrial plant are not self - pollinating , you ’ll need to ascertain you have two specimens – and pollinate the flower by hand if you ’re growing indoors .
In addition , seeds involve Earth’s surface sowing and germination on top of moist , acidulent pot culture medium and are prostrate to rotting .
By Division
As mentioned , once a mature clump of leafage refinement blooming , it ’s just a matter of time before the leafy tuft it sprang from dies .
And thanks to the outgrowth or “ pups ” that sprout beside the mature foliage , the plant stay to thrive .
Dividing is the process of remove one or more pup to bug out new plants to keep or give away .
The time to fraction is when a pup is at least one - third the sizing of a parent rosette .
For a potted specimen , unpot the plant and lay it on its side on newspaper publisher or a tarpaulin . Remove enough soil to see and finger where the pup is attach to the clump of foliage .
Use cleanprunersor agarden knifeto slice down through the thick rhizome rhizome to lop the pup from the parent . Be sure the separated pup or division is a thoroughgoing , separate russet scab with gullible leaves and roots attach .
In the case of an in - ground flora , use a long - manage excavator to unearth the parent plant with the confiscate pup , lie down it on its side , remove soil as needed , and sever the two .
Replant or discard the parent , as it has fetch up bloom .
Pot up or plant out the pup immediately , setting it just deep enough in potting medium or garden soil to adjudge it in lieu , with the crownwork approximately three - quarters of an column inch to an inch below the lip of the pot . Moisten the stain , but avoid oversaturation .
If you accidentally discerp the whelp ’s roots , dip its foundation into rooting endocrine and set it into potting culture medium or garden filth as draw above . apply endocarp beside it for support if necessary .
Provide smart indirect sunlight indoors and good afternoon tincture outdoors .
study more about propagate bromeliads via offset in our guide .
Transplanting
If you are part with a bare - beginning rootstock , place it into potting soil just deep enough for it to be self - patronize , as discussed in the division section above .
To transplant a potted nursery specimen , note its depth in the original container and replicate it in the new one , backfilling firmly to hold the plant life in spot .
How to Grow Queen’s Tears
Queen ’s tears require bright , indirect sunlight indoors that is easy achieved by placing it in propinquity to a south- or E - facing windowpane .
Avoid range it in direct sunlight as this can scorch the blossom and foliage . Outdoors , a setting that furnish good afternoon spook reduce the risk of sun scorch .
The idealistic temperature is 70 to 80 ° F during the mean solar day and 65 to 70 ° F at night .
The territory should be acidulent , with a pH of between 5.0 and 6.0 . AsBillbergiaspecies develop as both epiphytic plant and sublunar ground covers , the land you choose can either be bark chips or a potting mix that is loamy and rich in humus .
The best potting land to apply is one that is at large and airy and drain rapidly , like a cactus , palm , and citrus commixture , such as this one from Miracle - Gro .
Miracle - Gro Cactus , Palm , and Citrus Potting Mix
Sand and perlite avail to make this product densification - resistant and fast - draining for successful bromeliad culture .
Miracle - Gro Cactus , Palm , and Citrus Potting Mix isavailable via Amazon .
Fertilizer is not essential , as these plants are not heavy feeders . If you choose to feed , do so during dynamic summer growth , and practice a product specifically formulated for bromeliads .
If you ’re using a granular product , water supply first and employ it to the soil , avoiding the foliation . mist over products are practice at once to the leaf .
Miracle - Gro Orchid Plant Food Mist is suitable because bromeliads and orchidaceous plant share similar cultural requirements and welfare from foliar misting as a wet source .
Miracle - Gro Orchid Plant Food Mist
Miracle - Gro Orchid Plant Food Mist isavailable via Amazon .
If you cultivate these plants indoors , endeavour to maintain a humidness level between 50 and 75 percent .
To increase the ambient humidness , you’re able to mist the leaf and blossom and/or set the pot on a drip dish atop a individual level of pebbles in a pan of water that comes just to the top of the crushed rock understructure .
Do n’t send the gage forthwith on the pebbles without a drip dish to avoid absorbing excess piddle .
Queen ’s tear plant life are genetically wire to live in arid conditions . If your water is hard or mineral - plentiful , leave it out overnight to off - petrol chemicals like chlorine .
Mineral - fertile water may exit bloodless spots on the leaf over time .
If the top inch of stain is wry , it ’s metre to water . You canuse a moisture meterto direct you .
Wet the grease , but forefend oversaturation .
retrieve , queen ’s tear is weewee - fresh and drought tolerant . Neglect is better than overgenerosity .
Learn more about watering bromeliads here .
Growing Tips
Maintenance
Remember to entrust treated water out overnight in an undefendable vas to disperse some of the coarse chemical and avoid oversaturation , a nemesis of bromeliads and epiphytes .
Per the New York Botanical Garden , avert overfertilizing which can lead to leggy stems and tinge the theme song rosette vase shape .
Use clean pruners to remove spent blossom inflorescences as near to their base as you may without damage neighboring foliage . take away decay post - bloom rosette when they begin to wilt .
In zone 9 to 11 , you’re able to leave plants outdoors year - round . You may even be able to do so in Zone 8 , as plants can withstand abbreviated periods in the 20s and even the adolescent .
Provide outdoor pots with winter insularity like a gunny wrap , and bring them close to the menage or indoors during cold pushover .
However , if you are cultivating outdoors in Zone 8 and below , where the temperature remains below the 30 to 32 ° F range for extended periods , you ’ll involve to bring your pots indoors for the winter months .
And in the end , when you need to repot , select a container that is no more than one - third larger than the size of the stem ball . Shallow and snug is best . Avoid too deep vessels that hold too much water and advertize fungal disease .
Where to Buy
Classification ofB. nutansis always evolve . Some bromeliad expert acceptB. nutansvar.schimperianaandB. nutansvar.striataas course take place variants , while others tilt more toward classifying them as distinct coinage .
Differences among variants may be subtle and detectable only by civilise eyes . And while you may never come across this information on a plant tag , aficionados may find the minutia of interest .
In addition , there are plant on the market listed as work varieties ofB. nutans , like ‘ Blondie , ’ that may be a golden - leafed “ sport ” or randomly take place natural variant of a completely different case ofBillbergia .
There is still much to learn about theBillbergiagenus and thenutansspecies !
A have it off and accepted cultivar isB. nutans‘Variegata , ’ that has take light-green foliation with emollient margins .
Queen ’s Tears , B. nutans
you may encounter a one - metrical foot - tall pouf ’s tears works in a one - gal containeravailable from Walmart .
you may also find seven- to 11 - inch stark root rhizomes available fromTruBlu Supply via Amazon .
Managing Pests and Disease
Healthy bromeliads in an idealistic growing environment are not typically prone to pests or disease problems .
However , there are a few you should know .
ironical indoor environs may promote an plague of :
habituate insecticidal , fungicidal neem crude to address unnatural foliage .
too pie-eyed conditions , poor air circulation , and/or poorly draining soil may invite fungal disease , include :
Crown androot rotcaught early may be two-sided . symptom admit a foul smell , mushy chocolate-brown stain at the al-Qa’ida , and light leaves .
Unpot the flora and rinse the stain from the ancestor . Remove all discolored , soppy , unpleasant-smelling root and foliation .
Spray the remaining origin with a mixture of one part atomic number 1 peroxide coalesce with two parts water . Allow the roots to dry out entirely before repotting .
Sanitize the container by spray the inside with the same solution , letting it sit down for 30 minutes to disinfect , and rinsing it completely before employment .
Repot with fresh potting sensitive .
For folio spot , remove severely affected foliage and treat the remaining folio with fungicidal neem vegetable oil .
And in the case of rust , you ’ll also call for to murder the affected foliage .
handling is challenge because many type of rust are fungicide resistant , and the rough chemicals required are gear more toward commercial growers than home gardeners .
invalidate these subject with undecomposed cultivation practices is more likely to be successful than treatment .
Best Uses for Queen’s Tears
Queen ’s tears is an eye - catching ground cover with spring of leafage and arching bloom inflorescences . It fills in thickly as newfangled pup take the place of former rosette .
Container gardeningis nonsuch for climate not contributory to overwinter outdoors , as plants can spend the summer outside in the unfermented air and return to the mansion for the stale months of the twelvemonth .
And for those who opt to grow it indoors year - circular , B. nutansis an soft - care houseplant that require undimmed indirect sunshine and occasional watering to keep it well-chosen .
To display in a pot , opt one that hang or stands on a pedestal to show the cascade tendril of flower and foliage to effective reward .
Quick Reference Growing Guide
The Queen of the Bromeliads
Now that you fuck how to grow and like for your own queen ’s tears plant , all that ’s go out is to determine if you may grow it outdoors in your location , plan to give it summer al fresco , or intend to keep it indoors yr - pear-shaped .
extend moisture meagrely , mist the foliation and blossom to increase the ambient humidness as call for and watering when the top column inch of soil is dry .
To confirm moisture depot and photosynthesis , attempt to keep a growing surroundings with temperature of 70 to 80 ° F during the day and 65 ° to 70 ° F at night .
With best practices , your nance will surely be the shining star of the kingdom in any garden or houseplant setting .
If you found this guide helpful and desire toread more about spring up epiphytic houseplants , check out these guides next :
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