Billbergia                                                         

bill-BERJ-ee-ah

Bromeliaceae

Explanation of name:  Named after Swedish botanist Gustavo Billberg (1772-1844)

Natural range:  Tropical America

Recognition:   Mostly epiphytic, yet often able to grow on the ground. Tall and narrow with 5-8 leaves. The foliage can be mottled, banded, variegated, or plain green. The inflorescences do not branch or not much; the short-lived flowers often hang down and tend to have large colorful bracts.  Flower colors include purple, blue, yellow, white and green with curled petals.  The popular Queen’s Tears is Billbergia nutans.

Landscape uses:   Striking due to foliar and floral colors.  Often grown in comparatively strong light with minimal fertilization.  Some are grown in full sun.  Most form pups and can develop into clumps.

Internet sources:  http://www.bsi.org/brom_info/taxonomy.html 

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/80714

http://toptropicals.com/catalog/uid/Billbergia_sp.htm

http://www.bromeliadsocietyhouston.org/html/billbergia.html