New Hybrids- First Flowers
Updated photos
New Hybrids 2020
Billbergia 'Windii' x 'Hallelujah' 8-25-2020
Neoregelia smithii hybrids- July 30, 2020
Neoregelia 'Tune Up' x 'Jem' #20-1
Vriesea ('Eva' X 'Sunset') x 'Hotspot' 8-04-2020
Neoregelia 'Big O' x 'Razzy' 07-30-2020
Neoregelia 'Perfect Harmony' x ('Small Wonder' x 'Treasure Chest') July 13, 2020
This selection from a grex of Neo. ('Hatsumi' x Rien's Pride') x 'Small Wonder is a 'fascinating plant that first caught my attention during the summer of 2013. The sequence of photos shows the progression from June 2013 until first bloom in February of 2014!
June 2013
September 2013
December 2013
February 2013- first bloom
Close up of flower
In 2003, I had the opportunity to cross Billbergia 'Hallelujah' with Bill. 'Sangre'. The progeny from that cross was a virtual collection of Billbergias, with lots of variation in coloration and spotting. The selection pictured below is my absolute favorite. Registered August 2014 as Billbergia 'Holy Grail'.
Perhaps if it were more heavily fertilized, I would have seen a bloom sooner. However, after a couple of generations of pups, I finally had a tube bloom in September of 2013.
This is another Billbergia worthy of consideration. Seed parent is Bill. amoena x horrida. Pollen parent is Bill. 'Hallelujah'. The inflorescence makes a great statement. Recently registered as Billbergia 'Pom Pom'. Here's the plant habit-
...and a nice closeup showing the inflorescence detail-
Hohenbergia leopoldo-horstii x correia araujei. This was registered as Hohenbergia 'Double Hyphen Select'. Very nice blend of characteristics from each species.
Finally bloomed January-March 2014. Foliage lost its color during our winter months, but at least I've finished the journey with this one!
I enjoy growing Orthophytums. Here in Michigan, I call them "earth stars for dummies". They tend to be more tolerant of a bit of neglect compared to most Cryptanthus. Mostly new batch of Orthophytum hybrids and f2s from seed sown in December 2009 (photo from 9/29/2011)
Here's a close up of an O. 'Iron Ore' x gurkenii cross.
...and a couple of more interesting individuals.
Here are some favorites from 2013-
Neoregelia 'Purple Moon'
Neo. [(Pink Sensation x sib) x Puerto Rico] x 'Royal Cordovan'. Registered as Neoregelia 'Ain't Misbehavin' It's a medium sized plant, about 16" across, and it's really starting to develop multiple layers of leaves.
I made a cross between Neo. [Passion x Grace] and [Pink Sensation x sib] several years ago. Several have bloomed in the past, but none surpass this one. Saving the best for last?!
pre-bloom- June, 30, 2013
Here's the plant one month later, with flowers
From a grex of Neo. 'Small Wonder' x 'Lokelani'- this one has looked good for a long time. The blooming plant did not disappoint! Now registered as Neoregelia 'Perfect Score'
Not the first time this one has bloomed, but perhaps the first time I've captured photos of it in bloom. Now registered as Neo. 'Sophisticated Lady'
I had a decent one of these bloom summer of 2013. From a grex of Neo. olens var.696 x smithii, this one is a real charmer! Now registered as Neo 'Razzy'. It's proven very useful in successive hybrids!
Favorite so far of a grex of Neo. 'Tunisia' x 'Blushing Tiger', though I have 5 or six rather promising ones that I may see through to first bloom.
Here's a nice grexmate to the one above. It's particularly nice from the side view-
first flower on 3/15/2014
No flower yet, but I really like the big teeth on this relatively small Neo. 'Tunisia' x 'Governor's Pleas F2'
This is the first to bloom from a cross of Aechmea chantinii 'Black' x Ae. zebrina. It's not my favorite in terms of foliage color and banding, but the inflorescence is of pretty impressive size (favors the pollen parent Ae. zebrina) and it bloomed for more than 8 weeks! (photo from September 6, 2010)
This is one of my favorites from all of 2012. Neo. ['Angel Face' x cyanea] x 'Tunisia'. Great color, leaf texture, shine, flower color, and compact! Update August 2014-Registered as Neo. 'Scarlet Starlet'. More good news- I'm getting 6 pups from the original mother plant!
Now if I can get the same bloom from my favorite foliage selection, I'll be just ecstatic! (photo from June 2011)
This was a nice surprise! The combination of foliage color with the inflorescence is just too cool! Here is a picture of Vriesea 'Little Chief' x 'Sunset'. Pups are starting to develop now.
