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Friendship Plant in the GardenTags plant encyclopedia

Billbergia nutans

 

Friendship Plant

Bromeliads are a family of monocot flowering plants with over 3,000 species in over 50 genera. Each species will appear in this encyclopedia with its' Genus name. The diverse family includes Epiphytes, such as Tillandsia and terrestrial species such as Ananus (pineapple). Billbergia is a genus within the Bromeliaceae family, and they are usually evergreen epiphytes native to tropical forests. Billbergia nutans is a species native to South East and Southern Brazil, and through to Northern Argentina. It has a number of common names, including Friendship Plant and Queen's Tears. This plant forms a rosette of grey green serrated leaves, and produces flowers on a slender pinkish inflorescence in which they have emerge from pink bracts. Each flower has green petals and violet-blue tips. Billbergia nutans offsets readily and generally lives for approximately three to five years.

Contributed by @shazbop

 
plant Features
  • Friendship Plant likes partial shade

    Partial shade

  • Friendship Plant likes occasional watering

    Occasional watering

  • Friendship Plant is not frost hardy

    Not Frost hardy

  • Friendship Plant likes rich and free draining

    Rich and free draining

 
plant information

Common name

Friendship Plant

Latin name

Billbergia nutans

type

Epiphyte

family

Bromeliaceae

ph

5.0 - 6.5 Acid - Neutral

  • Light

    Friendship Plant likes partial shade

    Partial shade

  • Frost

    Friendship Plant is not frost hardy

    Not Frost hardy

  • Soil

    Friendship Plant likes rich and free draining

    Rich and free draining

  • Water

    Friendship Plant likes occasional watering

    Occasional watering

Plant & bloom calendar

  •  
    Best time to plant
  •  
    When the plant will bloom

full grown dimensions

The size of a fully grown Friendship Plant is 0.40meters x 0.50meters 0.40 M 0.50 M

Billbergia nutans

Bromeliads are a family of monocot flowering plants with over 3,000 species in over 50 genera. Each species will appear in this encyclopedia with its' Genus name. The diverse family includes Epiphytes, such as Tillandsia and terrestrial species such as Ananus (pineapple). Billbergia is a genus within the Bromeliaceae family, and they are usually evergreen epiphytes native to tropical forests. Billbergia nutans is a species native to South East and Southern Brazil, and through to Northern Argentina. It has a number of common names, including Friendship Plant and Queen's Tears. This plant forms a rosette of grey green serrated leaves, and produces flowers on a slender pinkish inflorescence in which they have emerge from pink bracts. Each flower has green petals and violet-blue tips. Billbergia nutans offsets readily and generally lives for approximately three to five years.


Planting

From Early Spring TO Late Winter

Pots and potting media can directly affect the moisture levels in the bromeliad. Plastic pots tend to hold moisture for a longer period of time. If you are in an arid region or raising your bromeliad in a heated home, you may want to consider a plastic container to house your plant in. Un-glazed clay pots are porous and allow water to seep out. If you are living in a very humid area, you may want to consider this type of container so your plant doesn’t stay overly wet. You will want to make sure that there is some sort of saucer or pad underneath to catch the seeping water otherwise you could end up damaging the the floor or furniture the pot sits on. Regardless the type of container, never use soil when potting your bromeliad. It is too dense and will not allow for the quick drainage that bromeliads require. Instead, use potting mixes specially formulated for bromeliads or mix your own using porous materials. Plants can be repotted if they become to bulky or tight in their existing pots and this can be done in the spring. Do not transplant to too big a pot, as Billbergia nutans does not produce too many roots.

 

Propagation by Division (Spring)

From Early Spring TO Early Summer

These are pretty easy to propagate, the main plant will send out small off sets around its base, when these have developed small roots they can be cut off and potted up.

 

Flowering Season (Spring)

From Late Winter TO Late Spring

Billbergia nutans typically flowers anytime from late winter through to end of spring.

 
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Gardeners who are growing this plant