Vriesea 'Exotica Jungle Tips'

Exotica Jungle Tips is a large beasty that has Vriesea bituminosa as a mother. Father unknown! While it doesn't grow as large as the mother, it will still reach a height and spread of 70cm+.

Like Mum, it has lovely black tips to the leaves. It differs in the colour of the leaves, which are a nice mossy green, with darker squiggles across them, making this a more interesting specimen than the species.

Nidularium 'Exotica Shell Pink'

This is a lovely form of Nidularium rutilans that I selected from a large group of this species I grew from seed. As with most of this species, they grow to 30cm high by 40cm wide. The distinctive feature is the shell pink star shaped flower spike. Like many Nidulariums, this can stay in colour for up to 12 months. Great pot plant, also as an epiphyte or under dense foliage in the garden. Prefers deep shade. Can take light frosts.

Aechmea 'Exotica Candystripe'

This nicely variegated Aechmea arose in my nursery as a chance sport, from Aechmea apocalyptica x gamosepala. The variegation is pretty stable, unlike similar cultivars such as Aechmea 'Lucky Stripes'.

In late autumn or early winter a flower spike in candy pink and blue tops the white variegated plants. Does best in full shade, or with some morning or late afternoon sun. Can take light frosts if planted under trees.

Vriesea 'Exotica Zulu'

A Vriesea incurvata hybrid, with a deep blood red, almost purple coloured spear. The flower spike looks especially dramatic over the bright green foliage. Best in full shade and quite happy in frost free gardens.

Neoregelia 'Exotica Red Queen'

This stunning hybrid came from a cross I made between Neo. 'Sheer Delight' and a dark red form of Neo. aff princeps that I obtained from Brazil. It forms rosettes of rich tamarillo red leaves lightly speckled and occasionally splashed with lime green, up to 20cm high by 50cm wide. At flowering, the centre lightens to crimson which makes a really nice contrast. Great as an accent plant in open landscapes. Prefers bright light or full sun (with a little midday shade in mid summer) to bring out red leaf colour. Can take slight frosts.

Vriesea 'Exotica Whirlpool'

Since I first saw a "washed out" Vriesea hieroglyphica in 2001, in Peter Brady's garden in Auckland (see the cover photo of "Bromeliads For The Contemporary Garden" I've wanted to develop one of these. In 2003, we grew several thousand Vri. hieroglyphica from seed, and several came up with varying degrees of "washout".

As far as I know, these don't come true from the next generation of seed, although I've never given it a good crack. They do come true from pup though and this is one of those plants. They'll probably remain fairly rare as pupping is pretty slow.

Nidularium 'Exotica Ruby Red'

This is one of the strongest growing and heavily coloured Nidulariums that I have come across. This photo doesn't do it justice. When grown well, the colour is a very deep burgundy, like a good wine. The rosettes can grow to 70cm high and 70cm wide, with tough and quite spiky leaves. The star shaped flower spike is one of the largest of the Nidulariums, and is coloured a slightly lighter red than the leaves.

The best colour develops in strong but filtered light, although the cultivar can also grow in full shade or full sun once acclimatised.

This cultivar comes from Nidularium procerum, a line of seed I obtained as Nidularium "Rubra" from Brazil. Approximately 5% of the line came up with these broad, highly coloured leaves, from which I selected this one.

Aechmea 'Exotica Mystique'

Aechmea 'Exotica Mystique' is a very appropriate name for this cultivar. Out of several thousand seedlings of Aechmea lueddemanniana Rubra this dramatic hybrid arose. From an early age, it was different to the others, with much stronger growth and wide, well coloured leaves. Eventually it grew into a large plant more than a metre high and over a metre wide. At this stage I had no idea what it could be! At last a flower spike emerged, but this only confused things more. For the spike looked for all the world like Aechmea aquilega was the father, but as far as I knew in 1999 when the seed was set, I didn't have this species in my collection! The puzzle has never been solved.

Anyway, it is a magnificent plant and in high light the rich red leaves turn a deep maroon. The flower spike reaches over a metre high and has large stem bracts the colour of the plant. The flower clusters are arranged on the top half of the flower spike and consist of bright yellow waxy looking clumps, out of which the tiny orange petals appear. It is cold sensitive and doesn't cope with frosts. Full sun bleaches the colour out of the leaves, so best in strong but dappled light.

Neoregelia 'Exotica Sangria'

From the same seedling line that produced Neo. 'Exotica Velvet ' and so many of my other large Neo. johannis cultivars. This is a beautiful large plant that can reach 80cm wide and is well balanced with good ability to produce a plant up to 80cm tall, from multilayered leaves.

In strong but slightly filtered light (under a well pruned bangalow palm is ideal), this beauty develops its' strong, deep red colouring, lightly speckled with light green.

Neoregelia 'Exotica Sassy Red'

Neo. 'Exotica Sassy Red' came from a line of neo. carolinae seed that I imported from Brazil. The beauty of this selection is its' versatility. This photo was of a group grown in quite heavy shade, yet the pups are still coming up with good colour right from day one. I have also grown these in full sun, where the rich red colouring becomes even stronger.

At flowering, the centre turns rich crimson, which lasts for months. Grows to 20cm high x 45cm wide. Can take slight frosts

Neoregelia 'Exotica Purple Wave'

Neoregelia 'Exotica Purple Wave' is a strange looking Neoregelia, more like an oversized Cryptanthus in appearance. It arose as an mutation from tissue cultured plants of Neoregelia 'Purple Star'. Initially, we tossed these out, as they were not true to type! My partners' Mother Glenda, who is a very keen gardener and hates seeing plants get composted, rescued them and planted them out. Once planted out in the garden, it became obvious that this was an unusual and attractive plant in it's own right.

This cultivar forms a slow growing rosette up to 20cm wide, that gradually forms a woody stem up to 50cm high, topped with spiralled, wavy purple leaves. I have not yet seen one flower naturally. It is very slow to set a root system, but doesn't seem to suffer unduly without one, although it is a relatively slow grower.

Prefers bright light with some morning sun. Too much shade will make the leaves turn a olive green colour, while too much sun will burn the leaves. Can take slight frosts.

Neoregelia 'Exotica Inferno'

A darker and more dramatic selection from my cross using Neo. 'Fireball' x 'Plutonis' and an unnamed carolinae type. Good form, with broad dark green leaves, overlaid with a blush of maroon in good light. At flowering, the upper leaves turn a nice rouge colour, while the centre leaves lighten to a violet red. Grows to 15cm H by 40cm W.

Neoregelia 'Exotica Lilac Dream'

Neoregelia 'Exotica Lilac Dream' arose as a chance sport from a batch of Neoregelia 'Lila' which I had been growing for some years.

The light green variegations are mostly on the leaf margins of the glossy green leaves, but really come in to their own at flowering, when the pink contrasts beautifully with the normal lilac colouring.

Neoregelia 'Exotica Hula Girl'

Neoregelia 'Exotica Hula Girl' is another selection from a batch of seed I grew on from Gerry Stansfield. This is an excellent cultivar from the cross of Neo. carolinae x 'Big Red'. It has distinctive tangerine colouring to the leaves which turn a beautiful shade of crimson over much of the center leaves at flowering. Grows to 60cm diam. and 30cm high.

Neoregelia 'Exotica Flame'

Glossy green leaves, with a hint of red, that at flowering produces a flaming red centre with hints of darker red and even purple near the ends. This is a selection from a cross between a plant called Neo. 'Fireball' x 'Plutonis', and an unknown Neo. thought to be a carolinae hybrid. Up to 20cm H x 40cm W.

Neoregelia carolinae x 'Big Red'

These cultivars are selections from a batch of seed I grew on from NZ breeder Gerry Stansfield. He has produced many fine plants over the years. This batch was from Neo carolinae x 'Foster's Giant Red', which I had initially listed as 'Big Red'. 'Foster's Giant Red' comes from the same breeding as 'Fosperior' and 'Dexter's Pride'.

Neoregelia 'Exotica Diablo'
This cultivar grows up to 45cm wide with dark green leaves tinged with burgundy red. At flowering, the centre turns scarlet red, which lasts for months. Prefers bright light to bring out red leaf colour, but avoid midday sun.

Neoregelia 'Exotica Dark Goddess'
This is an excellent cultivar with gloriously rich dark plum coloured leaves, even darker than the photo shows. It shows many of the characteristics of the larger parent and is a good size itself exceeding 50 cm wide. Like many from this cross, at flowering the centre turns dark blood red, which lasts for months.

Neoregelia 'Exotica Red Dragon'