Hardy Tropicals UK

been growing this for about 5 years ,a friend gave it to me.and now this happening

Fascicularia bicolor? A bromeliad from Chile I think? It has flowered!

Agree. I have a mature one of these and that is exactly what it does every year.

Very good pic of the plant.

They are relatively hardy.... down to at least -6C here.

Yes, that's what it is. I've grown Fasicularia for years without protection - without issue. This year I decided to move it and reduce the size as it had spread too much for its position. Out it came easily due to shallow roots and I divided it with an axe! The older parts of the plant were discarded and the young growth planted in its new position where it is doing well and red as a baboons bottom!

Nice pictures. The flowers never look that good on mine, they seem to attract the slugs.

I have had two for five years and they are about 18" across and they haven't flowered they don't look particularly interesting or exotic with no colour or flowers so I am going to dig them out and dispose of them and plant two Chamy Cerifera in their place.

Looks like Fascicularia bicolor ssp. bicolor, less hardy than ssp. canaliculata and not totally hardy this far north. I've read reports that it's very shy to flower but mine flowers most years around now when I move it into the greenhouse.

Anyone growing related Ochagavia's? I got as couple of seedlings of O. carnea from a grower on Ebay last year. now making good plants with offsets but no flowers yet.