Aechmea lueddemanniana

(rubra)

Sub-genus: Podaechmea

Taxon # 40-4

Aechmea lueddemanniana is a wide ranging variable bromeliad from Mexico to Costa Rica. This bromeliad grows as an epiphyte or saxicolous. Grows well in strong light, though mine gets a little dappled shade during the summer noon time sun. 

The name spelling gets shortened sometimes to lueddemannia, confusing but in character, as the spelling of the person whom it was named after has more than one version.

This specie clone is a beauty. It is compact at a 2 foot spread,  with stiff reddish foliage and silverish bloom spike. The self setting flowers are lavender, producing a white berry that turns purple when ripe.

The prodigious quantity of self-set  berries allows for an other learning and growing opportunity - growing bromeliads from seed.

My normal seed starting technique is the using the lazy method - squeeze the berries onto the surface of some fine moist peat, place in the shade and ignore for 2 months. This seems to weed out all those species that require a minimum of care.

I have used a more successful method - squeeze the berries into a small cup of water that has had a teaspoon of bleach added. Stir and swish to separate all the seed from the pulp. The viable seeds should sink to the bottom while the pulp and non-viable seeds should float. Carefully pour off the chaff - then repeat the process with another rinse to remove any remaining residue. Pour the remaining seeds thru a paper towel and allow to dry for at least 24 hours. 

The seeds may now be scraped into a packet for short term storage. For specie plants I recommend separating out 50% for distribution to the BSI seed fund.

I next sprinkle the seeds on finely ground moist peat in a berry flat and cover, trying to maintain constant moisture and humidity. The berry flats have bottom drainage that also allow for wicking moisture inward if necessary.

This plant seems to work well with both seed start methods being unusually hardy and fast growing from the start. However, for additional and probably more reliable information on seed growing check out the BSI and the BSQ for related articles.

Cheers, Greg - PSJPlants - Brevard County, FL (Space Coast)

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