NEWS East London LETTER Bromeliad Society August 2019 South Africa Established: 25 July 2009

Our aim is to promote and encourage awareness and interest in Bromeliads in East London and all of South Africa!

ELBS SA is an Affiliated Society of Bromeliad Society International

AGM and 10th Birthday Bash!!!!

Wow! Another exceptional meeting was held at the end of July to celebrate a significant 10th birthday!! The weather was great! Fizz Ananas and champagne flowed and tea was great too! Thank you to the committee for organising a fun filled afternoon. The business of the AGM and report by Chairman Dudley Reynolds and Treasurer Lynn Friend was dealt with swiftly and thereafter loads of fun and laughter was enjoyed plus the usual Species Talk, Raffles and Lucky Draws Most of the happy bunch before we dispersed for choosing raffles, lucky draws and tea! for all as a birthday gift from the society to the members! Forty four folks attended the meeting and I am sure you all enjoyed it and went home with some new for your collection. It is always a pleasure to welcome country members to our meetings, so it was great to welcome Dawid and Scherine Botha, Peter Moulang and Gerda Esterhuizen joining us from Port

Elizabeth. They also Trevor and Lyn Wegner, our managed to Birthday Bash hosts! squeeze in visits to Left, what is a birthday without members gardens as balloons? Lyn Wegner and well. It has been a Brenda Wegner in celebratory mood!

Next Meeting: Sunday, 25th August at 2.00 for 2.30 pm. To be hosted by Irene Manthe at 27 Epping Road, Nahoon Valley. Don’t forget your mug and chair!

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wonderfully successful 10 years, may the next ten find us growing from strength to strength.

A very special thank you to Lyn and Trevor Wegner for hosting our Birthday Bash, every year! Lyn’s garden is looking exceptionally good and was a wonderful setting for our birthday meeting! It is such a privilege and a pleasure for all of us to be able to appreciate Lyn’s collection of bromeliads and Tillandsia, plus lots of extra touches of memorabilia Lyn has added over the years from all her many We all know Lyn’s other travels to bromeliad conferences in USA, passion, her boys, Ebby ☺ Mavis Downey discussing broms with Lyn in part Australia and New Zealand. Do go and visit and Ninja! ☺☺ of the garden that has an amazing show of again as you foliage Vriesea, Guzmania and many other need to go interesting plants. multiple times to take it all in! ‘Bromeliads for Africa’ is open on weekends. Please check out our ELBSSA facebook page for more photos of the Our trusty Treasurer, Lynn Friend centre, with event taken by Miriam Kennard and Scherine Botha. Brenda Wegner of the garden and birthday festivities.

Chairman's AGM Report - Dudley Reynolds

2019 was another busy year in the life of ELBSSA. If I think back over the year the highlight was probably our first Judged Show held in March. Although, we can Those members still hanging in there 10 years later easily regard all of our from the original 13 founder members, Lyn month end meetings as Wegner. Andre Eybers, Brenda Wegner, Barbara and Eddie Black, Albie and Dudley Reynolds. highlights packed with information and activity. Firstly I would like to thank all the members for their

David Gower with chairman, Dudley Reynolds. support and enthusiasm and attendance at the meetings. Then I extend my thanks to my committee, for all the hard work and mutual encouragement amongst us. You truly are a wonderful bunch of people and everything you do is greatly appreciated.

Who can believe that 10 years has flown by since our very first gathering back in 2009? Thirteen members and two visitors were in attendance at that first meeting. So much has been discussed Eddie Black, Nancy Brindley and Gordon Murray about bromeliads over the years and look how many friends we enjoying tea amongst the many folks admiring have made. Now, for the normal formalities of the AGM. The Lyn’s garden. committee have all indicated that they are willing to serve another term. There being no nominations for new members the committee stands as is. (See the list at the end of the newsletter.) I would like to encourage members to use our library resources. Back copies of our newsletters are available on a flash stick plus many other interesting books, journals and newsletters from societies across

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America, Australia and New Zealand. We also have the Cryptanthus Society and BSI Journals and interesting bromeliad garden clips on flash stick as well. In conclusion I would like to extend my best wishes for the year to come. Happy Bromming!

Species Talk - Lyn Wegner

Alcantarea imperialis . Due to a very exciting discovery in the garden this week I have chosen this majestic for our Species Talk.

Alcantarea are found on mountains in Rio in Brazil at about 1500m above sea level. For interest sake, I checked, East London is 48m above sea level, Table mountain 1085m and Johannesburg is 1750m.

They originally formed part of the Vriesea genus. There are currently 42 species of Alcantarea. Alcantarea are named after the 2 nd Emperor of Brazil which is rather apt for such regal plants don’t you think? Alcantarea imperialis is the most regal signature species of the genus Lyn’s impressive Alcantarea imperialis Purple. and is one of the giants of the bromeliad family.

I imported my Alcantarea imperialis Purple about 15 years ago. I have a bed in my driveway where I have a variety of Alcantarea. They make quite a statement! They make grass pups which I haven’t tried to grow on. The leaves are a blue/grey colour, ribbed, spineless, tough and leathery and have a powdery coating. I can’t say I see too much purple!

They can take up to 10 years to reach this size and about 15 years to bloom with flower spikes reaching up to 3.5m! These have 100’s of slightly fragrant creamy white flowers. They will grow in full sun or part shade in most climates from tropical to cool but don’t tolerate any frost until established when they are able to handle a light frost. We fortunately don’t get frost in East London. They like a free draining soil with little water. If too wet, they are likely to rot. Mine receive sun for most of the day, are planted in the garden, not potted, and are enormous! I’m sure you have guessed that the discovery I made this week is that a flower spike is just starting to emerge! Wow! How exciting is that!

Show and Tell

Lyn Wegner I was doing some overdue cupboard tidying and came across some old zim sponge cleaning pads. I had a light bulb moment! Just maybe I could use these! I put the sponge in a small bowl, wet it and placed some Tillandsia vernicosa seed I spotted a few days previously over the top of the scouring layer. It has a label with the name and the date of seed sowing.

Voilà! I now have a small propagating exercise in process! Maybe I should try another sponge with different seed and then check which one germinates first. I have positioned it on the window sill in the dining room, it is a warm spot and I will be able to keep a check on it. Watch this space!

Member News • We welcome two new international members to our happy throng of brom lovers: Martin Siaw from China and Andrea Oldrini from Italy. We hope that you enjoy keeping up with our local activities and we hope to continue to hear of your bromeliad experiences from afar! • Our sincere condolences to Chris and Zelna van Zyl and family on the sad loss of Chris’s father. We are thinking of you at this sad time.

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Thanks

• Lyn and Trevor Wegner for hosting the meeting. • Dudley Reynolds, Brenda Wegner, Eddie and Barbara Black, Lyn Wegner, Dr Pete Pfister, Lynn Friend and Lyn Odendaal for providing a mountain of super bromeliads for the Birthday Lucky Draws. • Dr Pete Pfister and Lyn Wegner for Tillandsia for the ‘Tillie Toss’. • Peter Cook and members of the Sunshine Coast Bromeliad Society, Australia for good wishes on our 10th Birthday! • Marianne Hillstead and Dr Pete Pfister for catering delicious party treats. • Thanks to all who assisted in the kitchen. • Barbs Black for making two enormous birthday pineapple tarts. • Eddie and Barbs Black for supplying ice and bath to keep the Fizz Ananas and champagne chilled on a HOT winter day! • Eddie Black and Gerald Vogt for playing barman for the afternoon! • Brenda Wegner for organising the helium balloons. • Lyn Odendaal for sourcing pineapple suckers. • Everyone who came along and contributed to making it a memorable and festive afternoon!! • An amendment to last months thanks to Peter Cook from Australia for so kindly mailing us the SunnyBroms Conference proceedings booklet for our library. It is doing the rounds of eager readers already, thanks Peter!

Congratulations to the July Raffle Winners

• Sue Pema chose Neoregelia ‘White Wedgewood’. • Wendy Fiebiger chose Neoregelia ‘Groves Red Tiger’. • Glen Reynolds chose Neoregelia ‘Island Sunset’. • Sandy Wegner chose Neoregelia ‘ High Voltage’. • Mike Whitten from Durban chose Neoregelia ‘Anacaona’. • Philip Visagie from Pretoria chose Tillandsia leonamiana . • Shaun Hope from Johannesburg chose Tillandsia leonamiana. • Adele and Beurich Groenewald from Cape Town chose Billbergia ‘Titan’.

• If you don’t see a plant that you would like to choose as your raffle win you can choose to take a Raffle Voucher for R120.00, save them up and buy a nice plant from one of the society members. July Raffle winners, Sandy Wegner, Sue Pema, below Glen Reynolds and Wendy Fiebiger. Birthday Lucky Draw Winners: Everyone was a birthday lucky draw winner this month !!

Upcoming Society Events

25th August: Irene Manthe will be our host for this meeting. We will meet at 2.00 for a prompt 2.30pm start at 27 Epping Road, Nahoon Valley. Please bring along any bromeliads or Tillandsia you wish to share with the group for Show and Tell. We are all learning together! Please don’t forget your chair if you want a seat plus your mug if you don’t like our styrofoam variety. Topic: Bromeliads; to divide or allow to clump? by Brenda Wegner. You are welcome to bring any examples of clumped bromeliads or Tillandsia to add to the topic discussion.

Visitors are always welcome at our meetings!

29th September: To be hosted by Mark Bradfield at The Gift Garden, Topic: Artistic Expression with Bromeliads.

27th October: Venue still needed! Topic: Bromeliads Seldom Seen.

24th November: Save the date: End of year Bring and Braai, Auction and fun to be hosted by Dr Pete Pfister and Marianne Hillstead in Beacon Bay.

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Upcoming International Conferences

2019: ‘Golden Broms’ 17 - 20 October 2019 Hosted by the Gold Coast Succulent and Bromeliad Society Inc. at the Sea World Resort on the Gold Coast. This will be the 20th Australasian Bromeliad Conference. For contact information go to the conference website at www.goldenbroms.com

2020: 9 to 13 June, 70 th Anniversary WBC2020 will be held in Sarasota, Florida, USA. For exciting information and pictures go to bsi.org, Conference Corner! It would be great to have a group of South Africans at this World Conference!

2021: This biennial Australasian Bromeliad Conference will again be hosted by The New Zealand Bromeliad Society. ‘Kiwi Broms’ April 8 - 11 2021, venue, Waipuna Hotel. Start saving now!

From the Members

Mike Whitten , our country member from Durban has registered another of his hybrids. This time a very slim leafed and aptly named Neoregelia ‘Tiger Fish’. Evidence of knowledgeable and thoughtful planning and loads and loads of patience!!!! Keep up the good work Mike and do let us know when you register the others. It is such a remarkable achievement.

Four other Neoregelia beauties, as yet un-named or registered.

Mike Whitten’s registered Neoregelia ‘Tiger Fish’ and right,

Lyn Wegner: I met Martin Siaw at the World Bromeliad Conference 2018 in San Diego for the first time. Martin had recently joined BSI and this was his first conference experience. He impressed me and many other people! An enthusiastic, amazing, young person from China.

Martin John Siaw is a native of Singapore. He started collecting and growing Tillandsia 35 years ago, when he was nine. He is a graduate of Cornell University’s Hotel School, Martin has worked in China for the past 14 years in the hospitality, fashion and horticulture industries. In 2010, under the auspices of the Kenyan and Ecuadorean governments, he promoted the horticulture products of the two countries in China during the Shanghai World Expo, and curated the Dong Hai Flower Expo. He is also the curator of the tropical collections at Xiamen Botanical Garden, trying very hard to build up their collections. In 2014, he led his motley crew of six to organize the Shanghai Garden Festival, attracting thirty-two thousand two hundred and seven visitors over three days. Since then, he has designed eight exhibitions showcasing Tillandsia in museums, shopping malls and art galleries across China. He has served as the editor of the book Martin Siaw

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‘Cultivation and Appreciation Of Wild Begonias’ and is the editor of the International Malus Registration site. He is presently pursuing his graduate degree in Horticulture at Beijing Forestry University and Tsinghua University. His academic research is focused on using nature as a catalyst to improve the mental wellness of people working in enclosed environments.

Martin has travelled all over the world, to New Zealand, Australia where he was invited to speak at their Tillandsia Event, Hawaii and the US, visiting people he met at the San Diego WBC. Martin has very recently visited Andrea Oldrini and members of the Antares Society in Italy. You will recall Andrea Oldrini was featured in last months ELBSSA newsletter. Hosting some high profile Chinese politicians who Great news, we have invited these two special people, Martin and came to visit the Tillandsia retail booth at the Andrea to join our society as international members! Martin spent Beijing Horticulture Expo. some time with Herb Plever in New York and as a result is now busy with a basic website that will include all the copies of Herb’s always informative Bromeliana Journals. Martin would appreciate any suggestions you might have to make this site more useful, his email address: [email protected]

Barbs: Maybe Martin and Andrea will consider visiting us one day and experience bromeliad growing in South Africa plus all the many wonderful splendours of our country! You would be made most welcome and put in touch with passionate bromeliad and Tillandsia growers all over South Africa.

Michael Kiehl of ‘Michaels Bromeliads’ in Florida has provided the correct formula for the name of David Gower’s stunning Neoregelia we featured in last months newsletter, pictured left. “The plants we sent to Ray Chandler (in Durban) were some of the early seedlings from Chester Skotak, all under formula (names) at the time. The proper formula for the plant in question is Neoregelia (( carolinae variegated x johannis ) x Bobby Hull)) x Spines. Silver isn’t part of the formula.”

With permission, I am publishing this charming photo of a very young David Gower on the family farm near Kidd’s Beach run by his grandfather where the family all farmed. Yes, you guessed right, they farmed pineapples, which we know are bromeliads and grow exceptionally well in the Eastern Cape! So his introduction to David Gower, probably about a year old bromeliads began at a really early age!!! Funny how life can come full on the family pineapple farm near Kidd’s circle! May you have many happy years of collecting and cultivating Beach not far from East London. bromeliads ahead of you David! Thank you for sharing such a special photo.

Barbs Black: I have Aechmea dealbata blooming in the garden. I love this regular winter bloomer which we have had for quite a long time. It has upright cylindrical growth, pups developing on thick woody stolons. There is white banding on the outer leaves which get a flush of pink to them. The pink inflorescence is thickly coated with silvery scurf. I find it is cold sensitive with tips/ patches of the leaves sometimes yellowing and going soft at this time of the year.

Aechmea dealbata was first publicised in 1889. It was found near Rio de Janiero at 200m elevation in the rainforest and restinga (coastal tropical forest), Brazil. It is epiphytic Aechmea dealbata, you can clearly see how it could be mistaken for a type of A fasciata.

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and at first glance could be mistaken for a slender looking Aechmea fasciata . In fact it was once considered to be a form of A. fasciata. You can clearly see why when looking at the inflorescence. Both species have flowers that change colour after blooming. Two colour forms of A. dealbata are in cultivation. One with maroon (dark coloured) leaves and an inflorescence with purple bracts and dark pink flowers and the other, which I have, with green leaves, pink bracts and lavender flowers.

When I visited David Gower’s spectacular garden recently, he asked if I had an skinneri as he recommended that they would be a spectacular addition to a large garden like ours. I wasn’t sure. A few days later, surprise, surprise!! I discovered a large cream inflorescence developing that I had never seen before! I just love those kinds of surprises! Ed and I do compete to see who finds something new popping up in the garden first! I checked the label and sure enough, it was Androlepis skinneri . Lyn gave Brenda and I a young pup each some time back and Brenda’s is also blooming now! Thanks Lyn!!!

In a lot of literature I read, it says that Androlepis is a rather unique bromeliad genus. At the current time there are only two species included in this genus. One of these species is Androlepis skinneri, the other, A. fragrans. There are other varieties listed in The New Bromeliad Taxon list: Androlepis skinneri var . mexican ; A. skinneri var. peruviana .

A. skinneri is found growing in and Southern . It is an extremely popular landscape plant because it can be placed in full sunlight and the leaves will become a very intense red color. It also tends to be quite hardy. They require year round heat, they clearly like East London Androlepis skinneri weather! They can grow on rocks (saxicolous) or epiphytically in forests. The inflorescence is branched, the bracts are pale and heavily coated in scurf. The flowers are yellow, not that eye catching.

The really unique thing about this genus is that it is one of the very few bromeliads that is dioecious (there’s a new word for you!), meaning there is a male and female plant. I found two illustrations of the male and female flowers, but it would need a botanist to tell the difference! So I don’t know if mine is a ‘he’ or a ‘she’. Lol! Female plants are rare in cultivation apparently. Male plants are propagated from offsets, which mine has developed a few of already. So maybe we have a ‘He” !

So it has male and female reproductive structures on separate plants. This unusual arrangement means the species requires separate male and female plants blooming at the same time and in close proximity for the natural pollinators like bees or birds to pollinate the female flower in order to produce fertile seed. Maybe it was the lack of both a male and female plants in the hybridiser’s garden that encouraged the creation of the first bigeneric using Androlepis skinneri . Dutrie described this cross xAndrolaechmea crateriformis in the first third of the 20th Century. Although it is described as a large vase shaped plant with an inflorescence resembling its pollen plant Aechmea fasciata , but redder, there are no photos or drawings to confirm its appearance. I read that Chester Skotak has since re created this cross.

When A. skinneri blooms, the flower spike can reach up to 1.2m in length. It has a lovely snowy white appearance from a distance which I find very attractive. Initially mine shed a pale pink sheath as the

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inflorescence pushed upwards. I am hoping the leaves will turn more red/bronze colour as the sunlight increases and the pups it has already sprouted will develop shorter leaves. I have it planted in the ground and it could be mistaken for one of the larger Aechmea when not in bloom . It has plenty of room to clump! I love it. Do contact me if you have any more information regarding the cultivation of this unusual plant. [email protected]

Better still, if you have an unusual or favourite bromeliad, do some reading about it and send it on to me for publication, it is a very rewarding exercise.

Rob Hazell from Swellendam needs to renew the shade cloth on his bromeliad shade houses. It did have green shade cloth but he would like to replace it with white. What percentage should he use? Any advice for Rob, please contact him at: [email protected]

From the Editor

So the birthday bash is done and dusted and what a fun afternoon it was, I certainly enjoyed it! Now it is time to look forward to the coming year with a sense of renewal and hopefully it will be full to the brim with opportunities for all of us to share our growing experiences, get to know each other better as bromeliad hobbyists and continue spreading the love of these amazing plants to others in our community and further afield! It is because of all of you that we exist!

We currently have 133 members made up of local, country and international members. Don’t forget you can join our Facebook community and share and enjoy the posts, some of which are truly drool worthy! In today's technological world, taking photos is at our finger tips. Do consider posting your brag, problem plants or anything you need help with, you are sure to get a response from many experienced growers from all over the world. You can also send your photos or bromeliad experiences to me to share in the newsletter.

See you all at the next meeting to be held at the home and garden of Irene Manthe in Nahoon Valley who has graciously offered her home for the meeting, so kind, considering she will only have arrived back from overseas a few days before. Many thanks in advance Irene, we really do appreciate it. See you all there!

This is a publication for the East London Bromeliad Society, South Africa for the interest of its members. Articles may be used by non profit societies with acknowledgement to the author where applicable and East London Bromeliad Society South Africa. Please use the photos that accompany the article used. If you require higher resolution photos please request them from the Editor.

Any opinions expressed in articles are not necessarily those of the Society.

When submitting items for inclusion in this newsletter, please ensure that all facts and information, including spelling, is checked and accurate.

ELBS SA is an affiliate of the Bromeliad Society International. Address: c/o 18 Wentworth Road, Sunnyridge, East London 5201 South Africa, [email protected]

We meet on the last Sunday of every month at 2.00 for 2.30pm, January to November, at various venues around East London. We have a topic for each meeting and Show and Tell where members are encouraged to bring along their brag or problem plants. There are member raffles, lucky draws for those present, tea time, library and member plant sales, plus a monthly newsletter sent out via e-mail only. Visitors are always welcome and can attend three meetings before they will need to join the society in order to continue attending. Annual subs are R120.00 for individuals/families and R60 for students.

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Committee Members Chairman: Dudley Reynolds 079 488 2360 [email protected] Vice- Chairman: Dr Peter Pfister 082 625 5533 [email protected] PRO & Secretary: Lyn Wegner 043 736 1737 082 970 2293 [email protected] Treasurer: Lynn Friend 043 748 2271 083 318 1179 [email protected] Editor & Publisher: Barbara Black 043 7212775 O72 1787 421 [email protected] Proof Reader: Lyn Wegner 043 736 1737 082 970 2293 [email protected] Raffles: Lyn Odendaal 043 726 1075 083 441 6813 [email protected] Librarian: Brenda Wegner 082 743 2141 [email protected] Catering: Marianne Hillstead 071 531 5146 [email protected] Events Co-ordinator: Brenda Wegner 082 743 2141 [email protected] Sound System Xenia Winter 043 726 2978 083 981 1312 [email protected] Webmaster Danie Taljaard 079 563 7725 [email protected] Member Badges: Betty Heunis 073 226 1610 [email protected]

You will find ELBS on Facebook: type ‘East London Bromeliad Society’ into the fb search bar. You can request to join the group and will then be able to upload your photos and comments on the wall. The ELBS SA page and other bromeliad related sites are a useful and informative forum to share and ‘meet up’ with other like-minded bromeliad folks.

You can view most of all the bromeliads mentioned in meetings or in the newsletter at the following websites:

The BSI’s official Bromeliad Cultivar Registry www.registry.bsi.org which is maintained by Geoff Lawn, the BSI Cultivar Registrar. Plus other information regarding the Bromeliad Society International is found at bsi.org

Florida Council of Bromeliad Societies: fcbs.org This is a very useful site to reference many bromeliads where you can clarify identification or just trawl through the site and add to your wish list!

Encyclopedia of Bromeliads - http://bromelia.club (Bromeliad Taxonomists and Growers Society) has photographs. It also now has keys for the genera and sub-genera. If you like to be informed what is happening, just follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bromeliadsencyclopedia Just type in ‘Encyclopedia of Bromeliads’ into the Facebook search bar.

For internet resources you can also go to TAXON (The New Bromeliad List) for the most authoritative and right up to date list of genera and species, accepted and new names and taxonomic keys - http://botu07.bio.uu.nl/bcg/taxonList.php or just type in ‘ New Bromeliad Taxon List’ , it's much easier!

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