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| Category: Succulent |
| Family: Bromeliaceae (Bromeliads) |
| Origin: Brazil (South America) |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Flower Color: Green & Blue |
| Bloomtime: Spring |
| Height: 1-2 feet |
| Width: 1-2 feet |
| Exposure: Shade |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 25-30° F |
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Billbergia nutans (Queen's Tears) - A vigorous bromeliad that is easy to grow and will readily form clumps of narrow upright bronzy-green rosettes. The nearly tubular 2 feet tall rosettes hold one foot long slender leaves that have small teeth along the margins. In spring the arching flower stalks carry pink bracts and pendant flowers that have chartreuse green petals edged with royal-blue. Plant in shade in a well-drained organic rich soil and water occasionally - for an epiphytic bromeliad this plant is surprisingly drought tolerant and can often be found surviving in shaded coastal California gardens that have received little or no irrigation but certainly the plants look better with a bit more water. It is reliably hardy to 30-32 degrees F but able to tolerate short duration temperatures much lower - this plant was only slightly damaged in our historic 1990 freeze at 18 degrees F and reportedly grows well in as cold of locations as Portland, Oregon and coastal Washington. This plant is native to Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina where it grows both as an epiphyte in low trees and as a terrestrial on the forest floor from 2,300 to 3,000 feet elevation. The name of the genus honors the Swede Gustaf (Gustave) Johan Billberg (1772-1844)who was a lawyer by profession and a self-trained botanist, zoologist, and anatomist and authored the Flora of Sweden. The specific epithet is Latin for nodding, in reference to the way the flowers are held in pendant clusters. Though commonly called "Queens Tear's" for the ornate hanging flowers with royal blue highlighting that often exude tear-like droplets of nectar, another common name is "Friendship Plant" which is attributed to this plant multiplying readily and propagating so easily that it is often passed between friends. We have grown this plant at San Marcos Growers since 1983. The image on this page courtesy of Santa Barbara landscape architect Billy Goodnick.
The information on this page is based on our research conducted in our nursery library, from online sources, as well as from observations made of this plant as it grows in our nursery containers, in the nursery's garden and in other gardens where we have observed it. We will also incorporate comments received from others and welcome getting feedback of any kind from those who have additional information, particularly if this information is contrary to what we have written or includes additional cultural tips that would aid others in growing Billbergia nutans.
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