About
Billbergia nutans 'Variegata' is a bromeliad that grows at a moderate to rapid pace, featuring strap-like leaves adorned with cream-colored stripes. During the summer months, it produces branched flower stems that reach up to 15 cm (6 in) in height, showcasing pendulous flowers in green and pink, each highlighted by blue-edged petals.
About the genus
Billbergia is a group of evergreen perennials that develop rosettes of linear or strap-like foliage. They produce clusters of tubular flowers, often accompanied by vibrant bracts.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Partial shade
- Soil type
- Loam, Sand, Chalk, Clay
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained
- Aspect
- East-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H2
Plant details
- Plant type
- Houseplants, Conservatory Greenhouse
- Habit
- Clump forming
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Height
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Spread
- 0.5-1 metres
- Time to full height
- 1-2 years
- Suggested uses
- Houseplants
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Under glass, grow epiphytically (attached to a branch or bark mount) or in containers of compost in bright indirect light. Keep the central funnel filled with fresh water. In growth water freely and apply a well-balanced fertiliser monthly; at other times spray once a week with soft/rain water.
- Pruning
- No pruning required. Remove withered leaves and flowers as necessary.
- Propagation
- Sow seed at 27°C (81°C) as soon as ripe. Root offsets in summer.
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to scale insects.
- Disease resistance
- Generally disease-free