NEWS East London LETTER

Bromeliad Society April 2016 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 is an Affiliated Society of Bromeliad Society International

March Meeting held on 3rd April!

We had a fabulous, relaxed meeting at the home of Lynn Friend, our Treasurer. Lyn is fairly new to bromeliads but her collection is growing and the garden is ideal for broms to flourish, with lovely dappled shady spots from big trees and a path meandering down a tiered slope. I especially enjoyed ‘the man’ on an old tree stump. Every angle I took a photo from, he had a different expression! Haha! I noted the water tank tucked away at the side of the front garden and thought, most of us have invested in a water tank by now. If you haven’t Lynn Friend our hostess for the afternoon with her choice of and have the space, it is such an essential and , lindenii and some photos of her garden. worthwhile investment these days, especially to water your special with rain water or just to save using municipal water which costs an arm and a leg! Thanks Lynn for sharing your garden and home with all of us! Dudley welcomed us all to the meeting using our new PA system, what a difference it makes to those sitting in the back rows! Pete gave a talk on which bromeliads like to grow in sun or which need shade with loads of examples. There are a few basic notes below. We hope that our newer members benefitted from this, as it really is important in order to bring out the best in your bromeliads.

Bromeliads for Sun and Shade - Dr Pete Pfister A frequent question when growing bromeliads is where to grow them? Which ones belong in sun or shade? We are lucky in East London with a subtropical climate, bromeliads will grow well almost anywhere. A few points to bear in mind when deciding where to place or plant your bromeliads: • Know the name: is it an , , Guzmania or Vriesea etc. • Inspect the leaf: is it thick and strong, with thorns, or soft, thin with no thorns? • Are the leaves strongly variegated or albomarginated (white on the Dr Pete Pfister talking about growing bromeliads in sun or shade.

Next meeting: Sunday 24 April at 2.00pm. A travelling meeting hosted by (first garden), Jill Buckler at 13 Hillcrest Drive Beacon Bay and then on to Odette Degenaar at 105 Beach Road, Nahoon.

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edges)? • Is there a maroon/ red colour on the underside of the leaf (discolour leaf)? • If there is not enough light you will find the leaves becoming long Neoregelia ‘Annick’ from Pete’s and strappy and Aechmea ‘ Ensign’, both from the shadehouse. You can see by the they will lose same parent, one grown in shade colour development how half the colour. With a big and one in full sun all summer. plant was not getting enough light. plant you also risk losing your plant to rot. • Too much light/sun and the leaves can become burnt or The tough Aechmea get that bleached blanchetiana can take full out look. You will summer sun. also get a short, The dark leaves of Nidulariam thick, squat plant. ‘Madame Robert Morobe’ need • Dappled shade shade. will suit many Neoregelia marmorata bromeliads and give you good colour and growth. • Most bromeliad types are epiphytes but some need to have their roots in Vriesea bleherae with the soil, eg: Ananas, discolour leaves needs a shady area. Dyckia, Cryptanthus and Orthophytum . Most need good light to grow to their best potential. Soft leaved Guzmania ‘Kapho Fire’. • Nidularium are the most shade loving of the bromeliad family. Of course there are always exceptions to the rule with some Nidularium requiring more light. Most grey Tillandsia with trichomes Neoregelia ‘Magali’ A bromeliad’s response to light levels is also can take full sun. This one is affected by temperature, humidity and nutrition. Tillandsia fasciculata ‘Hondurensis’ • High temperatures and low humidity levels can cause scorching. • A dry, slightly cloudier summer day you might find some broms scorching but not on a clear sunny winter day. • Many Neoregelia develop good leaf colour in high light levels and a low nutrient situation, especially Neoregelia sarmentosa, N. marmorata , N. ‘Fireball’. • Leaves that are soft and pliable, green on the top and maroon underneath (discolour leaves), grow well in bright light with early morning sun. • Leaves with colour, variegated and are soft and pliable with no thorns need morning or late afternoon sun. eg: Guzmania and Vriesea. • Green leathery tough spiny leaves need morning and late afternoon sun. • Heavily coloured, red, maroon, yellow, purple black and leathery and spiny foliaged broms can take full sun. • Pale/grey with fuzzy whitish scales (trichomes), very spiky or green coloured can take full sun. • Exceptions to all the guidelines: some Neoregelia have no thorns on their leaves and some do not tolerate too much light, eg: Neoregelia ‘Magali’, N. ‘Donna’. • Pups often acclimatise to the growing position and do better than the parent plant.

Lastly, there is no substitute for trial and error and experience!

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Show and Tell

Dudley Reynolds showed some of his Cryptanthus, which are doing very well.

Xenia Winther showed a plant she was keen to get an identity for as it doesn't look like anything she has seen before. We know this plant as Aechmea ' Sangria' mutant variety. It does not bloom and the growth spirals upwards. Can anyone tell us more about this brom? Lyn is corresponding with Derek Butcher and Geoff Lawn and this plant should have a name soon. Watch this space!

Member News Dudley Reynolds showed some Xenia Winther’s Aechmea • A big welcome to new local member Pam Rogers, of his Cryptanthus. ‘Sangria’ mutant variety. we hope you have a long and rewarding time with the society.

Thanks • Lynn Friend for hosting the March meeting in April! • Dr Pete Pfister for talking to us about Bromeliads for Sun and Shade. • Lyn Odendaal and Gerald Vogt, and Eddie and Barbara Black for delicious tea time goodies which disappeared in a flash! • Billy and Sheila Gerretsen, Pete Pfister, Lyn Wegner and Miriam Kennard for items for the lucky draws.

Tea Duty To facilitate catering, please confirm with Bev Reynolds, our Catering Co- It was great to see country ordinator, cell: 071 509 1286 or [email protected] if you are unable to members, Len and Kathy provide eats for the meeting when you are on duty. Moriarty from Port Shepstone join us for the March meeting. 24 th April: Pam and Malcolm Stoltz, Josie Schroding and Sue Pema. 29 th May: Jill Buckler, Danie Conradie, Andre and Maureen Eybers. 26 th June: Brenda Wegner, Lyn and Trevor Wegner, Odette Degenaar

Raffle Winners for March • Dudley Reynolds chose Guzmania sanguinea. • Dudley Reynolds chose Vriesea ospinae var. gruberi x poelmanii . • Jan Bezuidenhout chose Vriesea 'Sunset'. • Pam Rogers chose Vriesea 'Vulkana'. • Mike Whitten from Durban chose Neoregelia 'Passion' x 'Grace' Select. • Kathy and Allan Botha from Port Elizabeth chose Edmundoa 'Alvim Seidel'. • Christo van Wijk from Pretoria chose Vriesea ospinae var . gruberi x poelmanii. • Clint Gordon from Johannesburg chose Tillandsia Dudley Reynolds with his two Betty Heunis chose Vriesea 'Sweet Isabel'. winning raffle plants, ‘Sunset’ for Jan’s win. Guzmania sanguinea and Lucky Draws Vriesea ospinae var. gruberi • There were loads of lucky draw plants and items x poelmanii. won.

Only Society members can buy tickets for the Raffle Draw. They can be bought for R5.00 each at the meeting. Country members can buy raffle tickets from Lyn, your winning bromeliad will be posted to you.

The Attendance Lucky Draws are open to members and visitors at the meeting. Members are encouraged to bring special bromeliads for the raffle draw selection. They will be paid for their plant if it is chosen by a winner. A new member, Pam Rogers chose Vriesea 'Vulkana'!

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From the Committee Member Plant sales: Members are welcome to bring special plants to submit as raffle choices and to sell after the meetings proceedings. Please ensure that each plant has 2 labels; one with the correct name of the plant and the other with the sellers name and price on it. Please pay the seller for the plant/s that you purchase.

The BSI Membership list is out of date and we are trying to establish which of our society members are current BSI members. Please advise Lyn, [email protected] if you are a member or are planning on joining. You will be part of the international bromeliad family and receive the informative journals!

Upcoming Society Events

24th April: A travelling meeting to view two gardens and bromeliads and have the usual raffle draws and tea at the second garden. At 2.00pm we will meet at the first venue, hosted by Jill Buckler at 13 Hillcrest Drive, Beacon Bay. At 3.00pm we will move on to Odette Degenaar’s home at 105 Beach Road, Nahoon. Please bring your own chair and a mug if you don’t like using the disposable cups. Lyn will e-mail a reminder and directions closer to the time.

29th May: Hosted by Val Nel in Vincent Heights. Topic: Mounting Bromeliads Workshop (to be confirmed). 26th June: Any volunteers to host this meeting? 31st July: ELBS 7th Birthday celebration at Bromeliads for Africa in Sunnyridge. 28th August: Hosted by Dudley and Albie Reynolds in Beacon Bay. 17th September : Plant Extravaganza. More about this later. 25th September : Hosted by Denise O'Hagan in Beacon Bay. 30th Oct: Hosted by Pam and Malcom Stoltz in Stirling. 27th November: End of year Christmas bash hosted by Bev and Theo McGregor.

Upcoming International Events 2016: The next World Bromeliad Conference will be held in Houston, Texas 13 – 19 June 2016. More info at www.bsi.org/conference corner.

2017: The 19th Australasian Bromeliad Conference, Sunnybroms on the Sunshine Coast will be held in Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland 31 March to 2 April 2017. For more information do check out http://sunnybroms.com

From our Members

Chris van Zyl, Somerset Wes t: My tillies seem to have recovered after the Post Office fiasco from East London to Pretoria a while ago – 3 weeks in boxes in a container. This just shows you how tough these plants are. Currently my whole tilly collection is with my folks in Gauteng in a retirement village, on a north facing veranda and very protected against the harsh frost and Some Neoregelia thriving in Chris’s excessive sun – ideal, because I have “converted” Somerset West garden. my parents to TLC them everyday. And believe me, all the residents are faffing around these “strange” looking plants. I have noted that a lot of them have started to keep some too, here and there, all over, trees and around houses.

When I left East London, I relocated all my bromeliads, except the to Somerset West. Luckily I did not relocate them to Somerset West, where it has been extremely dry. The episode with the Post Office was almost a fiasco as they were kept in “custody” for 22 days during the PO strike at that time.

As I am currently based in Port Elizabeth, I am travelling from PE to S/West weekly, I would not have had the time to look after the tillys the way my parents do, (85 and Tillandsia doing well on the 80 years young respectively). First thing they report when we phone each other, patio of Chris’s folks home in Pretoria. they would say the “wors” (sausage) are doing fine. Of course the 4 X “wors” (sausages) are referring to the very effective hanging structures, filled with “coconut hessian”, which I bought at a huge nursery in town, approx. 2 years ago. This method of storage allows growing space for approx. 300 plants in a +/- 2m x 8m area.

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Another huge benefit is that one can change the hanging direction every now and then , promoting growth in all directions. With Tshwane (Pretoria) having had approx. 200mm rain lately they are thriving now, evident from the tall flower spikes. We do spray some with Seagrow liquid fertiliser now and then, to promote extra growth. I am still experimenting with my Dyckia and Puya seeds – will update you soon.

Christo van Wijk in Pretoria: As most people know I am a bit obsessed with plant names, so I am again just trying to reach out to other bromeliad fanciers to make them aware of the importance of having the plants correctly named. I have noticed in the past couple of years that less and less people actually care about the identification of a bromeliad, they just want a pretty plant. This is fine if you just keep it in the garden and throw the tag away, but then (what usually happens), a friend wants a pup, and the plant has no name… this friend cares about the name…. then the search starts!! After searching every single bromeliad related page on Facebook and sending a picture to every plant-person in the e-mail directory, the friend finally decides to Google the plant under "red bromeliad… search"…… the foliage is red, so all red flowers are ignored. Then you are left with a list of, say, Neoregelia ‘Fireball’, Neoregelia ‘Royal Cordovan’, Neoregelia meyendorfii and Neoregelia carolinae. The pup isn't fully grown, there is no ruler next to the picture on Google and time is of the essence! It looks a lot like Neoregelia carolinae (grown in Hawaii).…so that must be the name! The name never gets checked again when the plant flowers or produces pups… so that is now becomes the name! So the friend shares the plant with all his/her friends. Soon after, I am looking for a true Neoregelia carolinae and I order one via Mail Order, very excited about collecting my new purchase, I rip the box apart (while still in the parking lot of the local Postnet) - only to find yet another Neoregelia ‘Red Planet October’ inside! Very angry, I call the supplier, because they have taken me for a ride, they claim the name is correct, I say mean things, I can never buy from them again and I still don't have Neoregelia carolinae !

And all this could have been prevented if the tag was left buried next to the plant in the first place. I I know, I digress! There is a fine line though….

On the other hand, there are a few collectors in South Africa that are soooo obsessed with having a name, that they would just give the plant any name they like - this doesn’t work either. Then, there are the few over- enthusiastic characters that go on the bsi.org site and look for names. This is good, but technology in the wrong hands is a DISASTER! A quick example: Neoregelia ‘David & Sherlette’ = ( Neoregelia ‘Cereza’ F2 x ‘Silver’) Neoregelia ‘Alex Holmes’ = ( Neoregelia ‘Cereza’ F2 x ‘Silver’) But Neoregelia ‘Cereza’ F2 x ‘Silver’ is NOT Neoregelia ‘David & Sherlette’ OR Neoregelia ‘Alex Holms’

N. ‘David & Sherlette’ and N. ‘Alex Holms’ are registered plants from this cross, but not all the plants from this cross are registered. Some came into the country under the formula name and should therefore be kept under the formula name. Even if the specific plant is variegated, it cannot be called N. ‘David & Sherlette’ and if it's marginated doesn't mean it is N. ‘Alex Holmes’. (That doesn't stop you from registering the plant under a new name though, as long as you get the necessary details and permission from the creator.) Apart from us (South Africans) creating disasters for ourselves, there are some disasters being imported as well.

I currently own 22 DIFFERENT plants under the name Tillandsia ionantha 'Rubra'. 3 Different ones under the name Tillandsia ionatha 'Fuego', 3 different Tillandsia tricolor hybrids under the name Tillandsia ‘ Melanocrater', not to mention my huge selection of Tillandsia fasciculata varieties and look-a-likes that are labelled Tillandsia fasciculata. All of these came from one Tillandsia wholesaler in .

Lyn Wegner informed me that the plain plant she has under the name Neoregelia 'David & Sherlette' came in a batch of imports under that name. It is actually a NOVAR and should have been labelled that way or (better still) discarded by the supplier! We should be comfortable in knowing, if we import a plant the name will be correct. (Lyn – Neoregelia ‘David & Sherlette’ novar is nevertheless an attractive plant too.)

I also have Vriesea 'Tulip' that came from the BSI World Conference that was held in Orlando. I could never find any reference on this plant on the internet, but it is so nice, I have it in a special place in the shade house. A few weeks ago I saw that finally, Vriesea ‘Tulip’ has been registered and it can be viewed on bsi.org registry! To my dismay the plant on bsi.org is a David Fell hybrid and it is variegated, my plant is a Shiigi hybrid and is not variegated, nor is it a NOVAR! The color is completely different. Now I wonder - how does this happen? Why does this happen? and what do I do with my plant now ???? For now I have just put a "?" behind the name, and added 'Shiigi' on the tag. But all these things keep rambling through my head. Is 'Tulip' just a popular name? Was Shiigi just too slow in registering it before someone else used the name? Did someone maybe change the tag while the plant was on the selling table? Did the person who sold it, even know, or care that the name was wrong? Short Answer: I DON’T KNOW! East London Bromeliad Society South Africa April 2016 Page 5

As with all things on our lovely planet, the bromeliad family is constantly under review! Bromeliads get renamed all the time, and even reclassified into new genera. This is hard to keep up with especially if you're not 'into it'. I do try my best to keep up, then I start thinking again … (this is going to be very confusing..) If a Vriesea gets reclassified into the genus Alcantarea , all the hybrids that were made with that specific plant will have to have their names changed as well, if it was crossed with another Vriesea the offspring will have to be reclassified under 'x Vriecantrea' and if it was intended to create a bigeneric hybrid with an A lcantarea (making it an xVriecantarea ), the offspring will have to have their genus changed to Alcantarea again. Mind boggling hey?

Example of proof: xNidumea ‘Angeline’ ( Nidularium billbergioides x Aechmea fasciata ) THEN THE NIDULARIUM CHANGED TO CANISTROPSIS Now it is xAechopsi s ‘Angeline’ ( Canistropsis billbergioides x Aechmea fasciata )

Notice how the 'AECHMEA' part of the name suddenly jumped to the front part of the new name? As far as I can see, this will have to change again, as it was said that the first part of the intergeneric name must be of the genus that was the seed parent. This is why xCryptbergia ‘Red Burst’ was changed to x Billtanthus ‘Red Burst’. The Billbergia was the seed parent.

(PS. I will pay the subs for the next year of the first person who can sms me the mistake on the BSI website regarding xBilltanthus ‘Red Burst’ vs x Cryptbergia ‘Red Burst’). You can contact me on cell no: 071 872 4886 or [email protected]. Please include your name Old Name New Name and the answer. Aechmea bracteata variegated Aechmea ‘Tritone’ Aechmea fulgo-ramosa Aechmea ‘Shining Light’ I don’t want to offend anyone by pointing out this Aechmea gamosepala large/giant form Aechmea ‘Big Matchsticks’ error, nor do I want to come Ananas bracteatus albomarginated Ananas ‘Tricolor’ off as a wise ass! I just saw it Ananas bracteatus variegated Ananas ‘Candy Stripe’ by accident, and this will Edmundoa lindenii albomarginated Edmundoa ‘Alvim Seidel’ point out how easily a few Edmundoa lindenii variegated Edmundoa ‘Brazil’ wrong words can cause Guzmania lingulata variegata Guzmania ‘Superb’ great confusion. Guzmania Luna albomarginated Guzmania ‘Dolores’

Sometimes names can be Guzmania Rana variegated Guzmania ‘ Georgia’ changed quite safely, Guzmania Snowball albomarginated Guzmania ‘Tropical Snow’ especially if it is a variety of a Neoregelia carcharodon ‘ Giant’ Neoregelia ‘Macho’ plant that just gets a Neoregelia carcharodon ‘ Tiger’ Neoregelia ‘Skotak's Tiger’ new name. Neoregelia concentrica albomarginata Neoregelia ‘Bill Morris’

The following plants in the Neoregelia cruenta ‘ Silver’ variegated Neoregelia ‘Silver Bullet’ table have had their names Neoregelia ‘Midnight’ (black plant, old var) Neoregelia ‘Wurthmann's Midnight’ changed; I only included the Neoregelia ‘Purple Star’ albomarginated Neoregelia ‘Karunesh’ ones that are quite Nidularium amazonicum Wittrockia amazonica widespread in South Africa. Portea leptantha Aechmea leptantha There are many others, too Vriesea ‘Christianne’ v ariegata Vriesea ‘Robin’ many to list, but I hope this Vriesea erythrodactylon variegata Vriesea ‘White Cloud’ will help at least a few members to ID their plants Vriesea espinosae Tillandsia espinosae correctly. Vriesea fosteriana var. seideliana Vriesea ‘Seidel’ Vriesea glutinosa variegata Vriesea ‘Galaxy’ Vriesea hitchcockiana Tillandsia hitchcockiana Vriesea rauhii Tillandsia werneriana Vriesea ‘Sunset’ (small, var, red flower) Vriesea ‘Kent's Sunset’ Wittrockia campos-portoi Nidularium campos-portoi Note: All Alcantarea used to be in the genus Vriesea All Abromatiella have been changed to the genus name Deuterocohnia All Streptocalyx are now in the genus Aechmea Canistropsis used to all be in the genus Nidularium Refer to the taxon website at the end of the newsletter, where all name changes can be viewed.

Lyn Wegner: Great excitement! (left) My Aechmea nallyi blooming for the first time.

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From the Editor As we enjoy the autumn weather, here are some chores you can undertake to encourage healthy growth through the winter months, not that it gets that cold here in East London, but elsewhere in South Africa I know it is not the case. You should be removing all the dead leaves from the base of your bromeliads to prevent bacteria growing in rotting leaf matter over the winter months. A good opportunity for a clear out, preventing over crowding as your broms need air to circulate to prevent them getting infestations of scale. Also ensure that your bromeliads, especially your softer leaf varieties like Guzmania, Nidularium and Vriesea do not sit in waterlogged soil as the temperatures drop, this is an open invitation to infection, rotting plants and maybe sad losses. I speak from experience! Move those plants that you put in shadier spots to protect from the harsh summer sun out into the open for the next few months; they will reward your efforts. If you live in areas of South Africa where there is frost remember to water your plants early in the day so that their cups are not left with water in them over night. Thank you to those of you who have contributed to the newsletter this month, keep it coming and share your bromeliad experiences with the society members. Hoping to see you all at the next meeting, a travelling meeting! Thank you to the hosts in advance for offering their gardens for us to enjoy and be inspired by your efforts and love of bromeliads.

In the meantime, happy bromming !

[email protected] 072 1787 421

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

ELBS is an affiliate of the Bromeliad Society International.

ELBS Address: c/o 18 Wentworth Road, Sunnyridge, East London 5201 South Africa, [email protected]

We meet on the last Sunday of every month, 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.

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: Nancy Brindley 043 748 1230 073 512 9971 [email protected] Librarian: Brenda Wegner 082 743 2141 [email protected] Catering Co-ordinator: Bev Reynolds 071 509 1286 [email protected] Events Co-ordinator: Brenda Wegner 082 743 2141 [email protected]

Photo Credits: Barbara Black, Lynn Friend, Chris van Zyl, fcbs.org, Lyn Wegner

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You will find ELBS on Facebook: [email protected] or 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 becoming a useful and informative forum to share and ‘meet up’ with other like-minded bromeliad folks. There are also many other bromeliad related sites that you can join and become part of a world wide online sharing environment.

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 fcbs.org (Florida Council of Bromeliad Societies). 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

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

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