Bilbergia nutans 'Santa Barbara'

Post Reply
GREVILLE

Bilbergia nutans 'Santa Barbara'

Post by GREVILLE »

Was given this more than twenty years ago as a houseplant and was surprised at how hardy it turned out to be.

I kept it in small pots, up to a five inch after ten years. I regularly divided it and placed pieces in the petiole stalks of Trachycarpus and Phoenix leaving the balance potted. They survived a number of winters but lost all of them in the recent severe ones including most of what had grown in the pot in 2010-11. It has recovered well again and I like to place the pot in the Canary date petioles and remove it to the greenhouse in winter.

As the trunk on the Phoenix canariensis_CIDP is growing I'm placing more potted bromeliads such as these into the cut petioles along with whatever grows wild in the leaf litter that collects, mainly Herb Robert and Yellow Fumitory.
Sept 2013 029.JPG
Sept 2013 030.JPG
Clive60

Re: Bilbergia nutans 'Santa Barbara'

Post by Clive60 »

I divided my two B n variegata (Santa Barbara?) up and now have thirty small plants in 4" pots, no idea what I am going to do with them, I just couldn't throw them away.
User avatar
Dave Brown
Site Admin
Posts: 19742
Joined: Sun Jul 09, 2006 10:17 am
Location: Chalk, (Thames Estuary) Kent, England 51.5N 0.3E
Contact:

Re: Bilbergia nutans 'Santa Barbara'

Post by Dave Brown »

I have something similar but looks on a larger scale, I'll see if I can remember to take a pic tomorrow.
Best regards
Dave
icon_thumright
_________________________________________________
Roll on summer.....
http://www.hardytropicals.co.uk
Blairs

Re: Bilbergia nutans 'Santa Barbara'

Post by Blairs »

I have Billbergia nutens variegata. Not sure if it is santa barbara variety - does that have more stripe effect than variegata? Mine has more of a mix of stripes and solid bits of green variation, though more of the latter. I keep mine in a coldframe and it does fine all winter.

I find the area where leaves emerge accumulate water - looking at your pics Greville, I should be planting it at an angle as that should stop that, so very useful!
Post Reply