Exotic Plant?

Dear George,
I came across your site whilst searching for some information about this plant (I hope you can open the attachment). I can't find a similar picture on the internet, and the lady who sold it to me (in a rather upmarket shop in town) yesterday didn't know the exact name (but muttered it could be from a family beginning with Ga...?). I gave it as a present to our local priest today, who really appreciated it and said it's going in their Easter garden, but I would like to let him know what it is..

I was told it doesn't like direct sunlight, only partial shade, but no tips as to watering / feeding. Because the leaves are cactus-like I would assume it doesn't want too much water. A lady I bumped into at the supermarket, after asking me where I got it from, suggested it might like to draw its own (lukewarm) water from a saucer.

I don't know anything about plants, and I've never come across this particular specimen during my travels. Could it be from Thailand? And, most importantly, is it safe to have around?

Any help would be really appreciated.

Thank you for your time and best wishes

Alessia, London (UK)

Alessia,

Greetings from across the pond.....

What you have is a Bromeliad, the botanical name is Aechmea ‘Blue tango’. This is a man-made cultivar, which means it doesn’t exist in nature.
Here is some culture on these plants…..

Their native soil is Middle and South America. They thrive in the lowlands of the tropical forests and even in some higher regions (up to 4000 m) of Sierra Madre and the Andes.

They thrive in different climate zones: tropical and monsoon climate of the rainforests, subtropical savannah climate with dry period either during summer or winter, subtropical steppe climate and subtropical highland savannah climate.

It is important to know the climate zone of origin of certain bromeliad, as you will be able to offer your plant convenient conditions.

Bromeliads are epiphytes. They do not drain the host tree, they are simply attached to the rough bark of the trunk or branches. They grow high in the tree crowns to bath in the shaded light. Some thrive even on the ground. They gather rainwater with all necessary nutrients in their specially shaped leaf rosettes. Some sorts that thrive in wet regions regulate the quantity of water with special sucking scales on the rosette leaves that open or close according to the needs. Sorts from the dry regions do not have distinctive rosettes, instead their surface is covered in scales that prevent vaporization.

Bromeliads flower only once in a lifetime. After the flowering the parent plant slowly dies, but new sprouts that appear around it continue the life.. We can transplant these sprouts in their own flowerpots filled with special soil mixture for bromeliaed. Bromeliads should flower in 2-3 years provided with appropriate temperature, humidity and enough light. We recommend buying the plant that is close to its flowering period.*

I hope this helps you and enjoy your lovely bromeliad.

*tri.exotica

Phyllostegia hispida - Endangered Species

Phyllostegia hispida, a member of the mint family Lamiaceae, growing

in the Nature Conservancy's Kamakou Preserve in Molokai.

The Obama Administration has listed its first endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. Phyllostegia hispida, a plant native to the island of Molokai in the Hawaiian archipelago, was thought to be all but extinct. From 1910 to 1996, only 10 individuals were recorded, but in recent years they have died. Only 238 plants of this species exist today.

Since 2007, 24 wild plants have been discovered, and over 100 individuals propagated from cuttings have been outplanted in the Kamakou Preserve. It is found only in wet forests at elevations of 2,300–4,200 feet (700–1,300 m) on the island of Molokai in Hawaii. This green vine's loosely spreading branches often form a large mass.

"Now that this rare plant species is protected by both federal and state laws, it is our hope that it will come to the forefront of public attention along with Hawaii's other numerous endangered plants," said Patrick Leonard, field supervisor for the Fish and Wildlife Service's Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office. *

*For the complete article on this history making event, visit the Environment News Service.

Tovah Martin - The New Terrarium

Tovah Martin, one of America's favorite gardeners, recently came to speak at The HSNY Library. She was promoting her newest book, The New Terrarium, and gave a wonderful
visual presentation on the world of gardens under glass. If you live in the city but want to be close to nature, are confined to an office all week or need the soothing touch of the natural world...a terrarium is the perfect solution.

Plants have been growing under glass since the early 1800's. The British garden writer J.C. Loudon, in his 1822 classic Encyclopedia of Gardening, urged the garden world to make use of these 'hand-glasses' as an 'essential tool of gardening'. The same holds true today, when encased in glass plants thrive with almost no help from the outside world. It's amazing how a terrarium can transform even the smallest corner of your space, by giving it a burst of vibrant green life.

Tovah also gave a hands-on demonstration of how easy it is to transform even the simplest of things, like a glass pitcher, into a lively and whimsical indoor garden. Her book is written with clear and simple step-by-step instructions and inspiring photographs to guide you along the way.

A Wardian case with a deep base simplifies planting directly in the case.

This ode to spring under glass includes white wood hyacinth (right) and lily-of-valley with glory-of-the-snow (left).

***

Come join us at The Horticultural Society of New York on June 13, 2009, for a workshop with Tovah Martin on how to build your own wonderful garden under glass. Check our website, hsny.org, as the date draws near for more information on Tovah's workshop.

*The New Terrarium, Tovah Martin

Photographs by Kindra Clineff

Green Screen at The HSNY

If you haven't visited The HSNY at our new location in midtown Manhattan, you must put it on your 'to do list' as a wonderful place to spend the afternoon. Our Library boasts an extensive collection on gardens and gardening that includes fascinating horticultural magazines to inform and inspire gardeners, would-be gardeners and anyone interested in plants. The contemporary art Gallery, which is open to the public, combines an innovative curatorial strategy with a unique gallery space to showcase emerging and established contemporary artists in all media who create plant-based art, supported by a series of film screenings and other engaging events.

Along with all this, we have custom designed and built a green screen which adorns the south facing windows in our office. This 'screen' is filled with many wonderful varieties of Cacti, Succulents, Ferns, Begonias, Peperomia, and even Euphorbia. There is a wide range of shapes, textures and colors that are represented in the foliage of our plant selections, along with varied bloom times, to make the display last year round.

If you are an apartment dweller in New York, you are well aware of how limited space is. The green screen is a perfect solution for introducing live plant material into your environment. This screen can actually help conserve energy by providing a layer of insulation, and even act as soundproofing. Plus these plants will grow and fill in the window creating a privacy screen.

I suggest you stop in and see for yourself what a unique and useful addition this green screen has become in our loft space.