SOME MEDIUM-SIZED NEOREGELIAS
(by Bob Reilly)

Neoregelias are probably the most popular bromeliads amongst Queensland collectors. In this article, 40 medium size neoregelias are described, although there are, literally, hundreds more to choose from. For the purposes of this article, I have used a plant width, at maturity, of 30 to 70cm to define a “medium sized” neoregelia.

The plants are mainly grown for their foliage, as the inflorescence usually consists of a cluster of blue or white petalled flowers, in the middle of the plant’s “tank”. The tanks are formed by the plants’ central leaves. They store water which helps the plants to meet their moisture requirements.

Neoregelias typically have a flat rosette formed by 15 to 30 leaves, all of which have small spines on their margins. Many of the neoregelias grown today have attractively – marked and coloured foliage throughout their life. This colouration often becomes more intense at flowering, when the plant’s central portion often “colours up” in shades of pink, purple, or red.
Neoregelias grow well in pots, or small buckets. The containers should have a diameter of 150 to 200mm. Potting mixtures used successfully include:
• Well composted pine bark to which a continuous release, over a period of nine months or more, fertiliser such as Nutricote or Osmocote is added when the plants/pups are potted;
• Pine bark chunks, (such as those used to grow cymbidium orchids in), treated with a special type of fertiliser available from the Bromeliad Society of Queensland. Combine 1 part charcoal with 7 parts treated bark to form this potting mixture;
• A mixture of 2 parts Peatmoss or Cocopeat combined with 1 part coarse sand. Add Nutricote or Osmocote to this mixture.

Care should be taken in applying liquid fertiliser, as excessive fertilisation results in the plants losing their symmetrical shape and, to some extent, their colouration. If applying liquid fertilisers, a brand such as Phostrogen ( N:P:K ratio is 14 : 4.4 : 22.5), which has relatively low amounts of nitrogen in it, may give the best results.
These plants grow well under 50% “density” shadecloth in Autumn, Winter, and early Spring and 75% shadecloth for the remainder of the year. Alternatively, they will grow quite well in shaded positions in the garden, but it is important to avoid locations which receive the full afternoon sun (especially in summer). Neoregelias look very attractive in massed plantings and, as such, make good landscaping plants provided their shade and water requirements are met. The plants like air movement around them. So, if practical, space plants so the edges of their outer leaves are only just touching.
The only pest likely to cause some problems is scale. This can be treated by using an insecticide such as Folimat. Avoid spraying the plants when the temperature exceeds 30 degrees Celsius, otherwise leaf “burning” may occur (although such incidents are rare).

These plants readily produce pups which will produce flowering plants in 12 to 24 months time.
Pups can be potted straight into any of the potting mixtures described previously. Ensure the mixture holds the pups firmly in position, as this helps promote rapid growth.

Most of the plants described below are readily available from bromeliad nurseries and Society members. Also there are many other fine neoregelias which, due to space constraints, I have not described here.
The plant descriptions, and photographs used to illustrate some of them, are based on flowering southern Queensland plants grown in southern Queensland under the conditions outlined in the earlier part of this article. The amount of light received in different parts of Australia can vary considerably. For example, certain neoregelias grown in North Queensland under 70% shadecloth can look quite different to the same plant grown in southern Queensland.

The naming of neoregelias, particularly hybrids, can be something of a vexed topic. This arises as many hybrids in particular, have not been formally registered or, in some cases, appear to have been registered under two different names. While people such as Derek Butcher, the Bromeliad Society International’s Cultivar Registrar, are endeavouring to rectify this situation, it will continue for some time. So, the approach I have adopted in this article, is to use the name under which the particular plant is generally sold in southern Queensland.

Images where available have been presented below description

‘American Stars and Bars’ – About fifteen 10cm.-wide leaves form a 45cm wide, flat rosette. The green leaves have dark purple barring and splotches of varying sizes. At flowering, the centre becomes dark pink-purple in colour.
‘Aussie Dream’ - About twenty 4cm.-wide leaves form a flat rosette about 40cm wide. The green leaves, which have white stripes of varying widths, colour orange in good light. The plant’s centre flushes a bright orange-red at flowering.
‘Aussie Dream’ “April” - About twenty 7cm.-wide leaves form a 40cm wide, flat, compact rosette. The green leaves have thin white margins, and pronounced purple tips. At flowering, the centre flushes a pink-purple.
‘Aussie Dream’ “Superba” – About fifteen 7cm.-wide leaves form a 50cm wide flat rosette. The leaves’ centres have a large number of creamy stripes of varying widths. The leaves’ margins are green. At flowering, the plant’s centre becomes a dark pink-purple, while the upper leaves acquire a light pink shading.
‘Bobby Dazzler’ – About twenty 8cm.-wide leaves form a 60cm wide flat, open rosette. The leaves are red-brown in colour with green splotches, especially towards the plants centre.
carolinae v tricolor ‘Perfecta’ - Perhaps the best of the carolinae v tricolor cultivars. About twenty 5cm.-wide, leaves for a flat, open rosette about 60cm across. The green leaves, which have a pinkish hue in good light, have central, white stripes of varying widths. The centre flushes a bright pink-red at flowering.
‘Charm’ – About twenty 8cm.-wide, leaves form a compact rosette about 70cm across. The red leaves have a large number of small, green spots which can “fade” and disappear when the plant is exposed to strong light. The leaves’ tips are a pronounced maroon colour.
‘Cherry Jam’ – About fifteen 8cm.-wide leaves form a 50cm.-wide flat, open rosette. The leaves’ margins are green, with the balance largely composed of cream stripes of varying widths. At flowering, the centre flushes a deep purple.

‘Colour Parade’ – About twenty 6cm.-wide leaves form a semi-erect rosette about 50cm. wide. The predominantly yellow-green leaves have reddish brown bands of vary ing widths. These bands have green spots and splotches in them.
concentrica v albomarginata – About fifteen, 7cm.-wide leaves form a 40cm.-wide flat rosette. The green leaves have thin, white margins and purple splotches. At flowering, the centre flushes a violet-purple
concentrica x ‘Avalon’ - About thirty 5cm .-wide leaves form a semi-erect rosette about 60cm across. The reddish-brown leaves have green splotches scattered along them. Greenish bands, of varying widths, are evident towards the plant’s centre.
‘Dantes Peak’ – About fifteen 9cm.-wide, leaves form a 40cm.-wide flat rosette. The green leaves have a large number of thin, irregular, purple bands. At flowering, the central “half” of the plant flushes a deep violet-purple.
‘Enchantment’ “vareigata” – About twenty 7cm.-wide leaves form a 60cm.-wide flat rosette. The central portions of the pink flushed leaves have cream stripes of varying widths. Small, white spots are scattered over the leaves. At flowering, the plant’s centre flushes red.
‘Fosperior’s Perfection’ - This is a variegated form of N. ‘Fosperior’. About fifteen 5cm wide leaves form an open, 70cm.- wide rosette. In good light, the leaves are light crimson in colour, tending towards green in shady conditions. At flowering, the crimson leaf colouration becomes more intense, while the plant’s centre turns a bright red.
‘Gee Whiz’ – About fifteen 10cm.- wide leaves form a flat rosette about 60cm. across. The leaves have dark purple spots and fragmented banding. The ends of the leaves are red-purple, with a pronounced purple spot at each leaf’s tip. At flowering, the plant’s centre flushes pink-purple in colour.

‘Grace’ x ‘Passion’ – About twenty 7cm.-wide leaves form a flat rosette about 40cm across. The bronze-green leaves turn a deeper shade of bronze at flowering, while the plant’s centre flushes a bright pink-purple.

‘Gunpowder’ - About twenty 7cm.- wide leaves form a 60cm wide rosette. The leaves’ margins are green, with the balance having cream stripes of varying widths. At flowering, the plants upper leaves are suffused with violet-purple, while the centre flushes a deeper violet-purple.

‘Heck’ – About thirty 5cm.-wide leaves form a flat compact rosette about 30cm wide. The bronze-green leaves have 1cm wide, white margins. At flowering, the plant’s centre flushes red, and a reddish tinge becomes evident in the leaves’ white margins.

‘Impressor’ – About twenty 6cm.-wide leaves form a semi-erect rosette around 55cm. across. The white margined, green leaves have an “overlay” of reddish blotches and fragmented bands. At flowering the reddish markings become more pronounced, particularly in the plants centre.
‘King’s Ransom’ – About twenty-five leaves form a compact rosette about 50cm across. At flowering, the plan’s centre is a bright red, progressing through pink and then bronze – green colours, as one moves towards the leaves’ tips.

‘Lambert’s Pride’ – About twenty 6cm.-wide, leaves form a compact rosette about 50cm. across. The red-brown leaves have green bands of varying widths. A light reddish flush appears in the plant’s centre at flowering.
‘Len’s Choice’ – About fifteen 6cm.- wide leaves form a flat, open rosette about 70cm. across. The green leaves have irregular purple markings, and faintly flush purple in good light. The leaves’ margins are white, while white longitudinal stripes in the centre of some leaves also occurs. At flowering, the plant’s centre turns crimson red.
‘Mauve Star’ – About fifteen 7cm .-wide leaves form a 40cm wide flat rosette. The leaves have a broad, cream central stripe, with green margins. Irregular, narrow, purple bands and spots mark the leaves. At flowering, the centre flushes a violet-purple.

‘Morado’ – About fifteen 8cm.-wide leaves form a flat rosette around 40cm. across. The predominantly green leaves have variable, approximately 2cm. wide white margins, with irregular purple spotting. At flowering, the plant’s centre becomes purple.
‘Muscat’ – About twenty 7cm.-wide leaves form a 50cm. wide flat rosette. The green leaves are edged with cream stripes of varying widths, as well as fainter longitudinal cream stripes in the leaves’ centre. Horizontal, irregular, band of purple markings also occur on the leaves. The plant’s centre flushes a violet-purple at flowering.
nivea – About twenty 4cm.-wide pale green leaves form a 40cm. wide semi-erect rosette. At flowering, the plant’s centre turns white.
‘Odean Head’ – About fifteen 10cm.-wide leaves form a flat rosette about 50cm. across. The leaves are “burnt orange” in colour, with black/purple markings.
‘One and Only’ – About twenty 6cm.-wide leaves form a flat, compact rosette about 30cm. across. At flowering, the plants centre flushes a bright red, with the remainder largely being dark red. The leaves’ tips are bright red. The central cluster of flowers is unusual for neoregelias, as they are raised above the plant’s centre.

‘Painted Delight’ – About twenty 8cm.-wide, strap-like leaves form a 60cm.-wide flat rosette. The green leaves have dark purple markings, particularly towards the plant’s centre. At flowering, the centre flushes pink-purple.
‘Phyllis’ – About twenty 8cm.-wide leaves form a semi-erect rosette about 60cm across. The light, pink red leaves have pink tips. At flowering, the centre flushes a bright pink, with the remainder of the plant assuming a deeper pink colour.
‘Pink Floss’ – About twenty 6cm.-wide leaves form a 40cm.-wide flat rosette. The leaves are yellow-green with faint pink-purple spotting and narrow banding. At flowering, the centre flushes a bright pink-purple, and the leaves’ banding becomes a more intense colour.

‘Predator’ – About twenty 6cm.-wide leaves form a 40cm.-wide rosette. The green leaves have 1cm wide cram margins. A pink-red “overlay” covers most of the leaves’ surface, especially in bright light.
princeps hybrid – This plant has been in Australia for over 40 years. You may find plants (incorrectly) labelled as N. princeps. About fifteen 4cm.-wide, leaves form an open rosette around 50cm. across. At flowering, the plant’s centre flushes an iridescent light purple, with the remaining portion of the leaves becoming purple-bronze in colour.
‘Royal Cordovan’ – About fifteen 6cm.-wide leaves form an open, 60cm.-wide rosette. In good light, the leaves are light crimson in colour, tending towards green in shady conditions. At flowering, the crimson leaf colouration becomes more intense, while the plant’s centre turns a bright red.
‘Sam Smith’ – About thirty 5cm.-wide leaves form a flat, compact rosette about 40cm. across. At flowering, the plant’s centre becomes a bright red, with the remainder being bronze-red.

‘Sister Grace’– About fifteen 6cm.-wide leaves form a 40cm.-wide flat rosette. At flowering, most of each leaf flushes red-purple, while longitudinal red-purple striping occurs through the remaining portion, which is bronze-green in colour, of each leaf.

‘Tangerine’ – About fifteen 5cm.-wide leaves form a 35cm.-wide rosette. At flowering, the plant’s centre colours bright red, with the balance of the leaves having a bronze-green colouration.
‘Termite’ – About twenty 6cm.-wide, leaves form a 50cm.-wide rosette. The green leaves have white margins of varying widths. Purple spots and irregular bands occur throughout the leaves. These markings become more intense in colour at flowering, while the plant’s centre flushes a light purple at that time.

‘Tossed Salad’ – About twenty 8cm.-wide leaves form a 40cm.-wide semi-erect rosette. The bronze-green leaves have purple-red banding and spots, especially towards their tips. At flowering, the plant’s centre flushes a pink-purple colour.

‘Two Tone’ – About twenty 8cm.-wide leaves form a flat 70cm.-wide rosette. The leaves are light purple/green in colour, while the plant’s centre flushes violet – lavender at flowering.

‘Van Dorme’ – About fifteen 5cm.-wide leaves form a 40 cm.-wide flat rosette. The dark green leaves have thin white margins, and narrow, white striping elsewhere. In good light, the plant’s leaves become flushed with pink. At flowering, the plant’s centre colours a bright red.

‘Victoria’ “Pink” – About fifteen 5cm.-wide, leaves form a 30cm.-wide flat rosette. At flowering, the plant’s centre colours pink-purple, which contrasts with the bronze colour of the leaves’ remaining portions.

‘Waipio Valley’ – About forty 5cm.-wide leaves form a 50cm.-wide flat rosette. The bronze red leaves form a distinct point at their tips. At flowering the plant’s flushes a deeper red.

Acknowledgements:
I thank Doug Upton for taking the photographs used to illustrate this article.
Author contact details bob.reilly@nrm.qld.gov.au phone: (07) 3870 8029