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iAssimilated

Contributor
Original poster
Apr 29, 2018
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the PNW
Greetings MR Photography Thread Members! My wife received a plant for her birthday that did not come with any identification and we would appreciate any help on what it is so we can care for it properly.

IMG_0130.jpeg
 

Darmok N Jalad

macrumors 603
Sep 26, 2017
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Tanagra (not really)
It is indeed a bromeliad. They are found growing up in the trees in the tropics, so the roots do very little but to support the plant. It's the leaves that catch the rain and funnel them down to the base, so that's how you water it. The down side? Once they go to flower, they often die as the flower fades. However, the flower lasts for some time, so enjoy it while it lasts! Another fun fact is that the pineapple is a bromeliad as well.
 

Ray2

macrumors 65816
Jul 8, 2014
1,170
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Once they go to flower, they often die as the flower fades. However, the flower lasts for some time, so enjoy it while it lasts! Another fun fact is that the pineapple is a bromeliad as well.
Hmm. I have quite a few bromelia's, probably 50ish, some approaching 20 years of age. Flower just fine. Can’t say ever I recall losing one. I rip them out at times as they can start developing a stem. But dying on their own, nope. South Florida, all outside. It’s pretty much an ornamental here. Can’t recall my neighbors losing any as well. We have both the spiny ones for sun and smooth for shady areas.
 

Darmok N Jalad

macrumors 603
Sep 26, 2017
5,425
48,322
Tanagra (not really)
Hmm. I have quite a few bromelia's, probably 50ish, some approaching 20 years of age. Flower just fine. Can’t say ever I recall losing one. I rip them out at times as they can start developing a stem. But dying on their own, nope. South Florida, all outside. It’s pretty much an ornamental here. Can’t recall my neighbors losing any as well. We have both the spiny ones for sun and smooth for shady areas.
I think they will reproduce clones from the base as well to form a new plant. I’ve heard of at least some dying after flower, and that’s what mine did. I believe I had the exact same one as the OP. Maybe I just killed it.
 
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iAssimilated

Contributor
Original poster
Apr 29, 2018
1,286
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the PNW
I am pretty good at keeping house plants alive. Will it ever flower again? That's a whole another story. We still have a Poinsettia my wife picked up on sale for the holidays four years ago. I still find it beautiful, but what can I say, I love plants. I've never tried to get it to flower again though.
 

Darmok N Jalad

macrumors 603
Sep 26, 2017
5,425
48,322
Tanagra (not really)
I am pretty good at keeping house plants alive. Will it ever flower again? That's a whole another story. We still have a Poinsettia my wife picked up on sale for the holidays four years ago. I still find it beautiful, but what can I say, I love plants. I've never tried to get it to flower again though.
You can, but the flowering sequence is dependent on day length. You have to have short days and long, uninterrupted nights. Even turning a lamp on for a few minutes can be enough to disrupt the process, so most folks don’t bother. Many years ago, I worked in a propagation house, and we produced 750,000 poinsettias for the holiday season. 95% of the stock was red.
1604696320939.jpeg
 

imac wannabe

macrumors regular
Sep 1, 2011
244
138
Appleton, WI
I use an app called PictureThis that says you have to pay for but just X out of that screen. You can take a photo of any leaf or plant and it will identify it and tell you how to take care of it! Even worked on you photo. Flaming Torch it’s called a version of Bromeliad.

Explore the wonderful world of nature and add Flaming torch into your plant collection with the smart plant identifier app —— PictureThis!
https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://api-java.picturethisai.com/web/general_download?language_code=0__;!!HknOduCM!tovJTbvVz7y4q54hQhijm85t1oKZOGMMaIEfSgTgo7VgJrGWRVIp38r8HURDsy-Q$
 

kallisti

macrumors 68000
Apr 22, 2003
1,751
6,670
I use an app called PictureThis that says you have to pay for but just X out of that screen. You can take a photo of any leaf or plant and it will identify it and tell you how to take care of it! Even worked on you photo. Flaming Torch it’s called a version of Bromeliad.

Explore the wonderful world of nature and add Flaming torch into your plant collection with the smart plant identifier app —— PictureThis!
https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://api-java.picturethisai.com/web/general_download?language_code=0__;!!HknOduCM!tovJTbvVz7y4q54hQhijm85t1oKZOGMMaIEfSgTgo7VgJrGWRVIp38r8HURDsy-Q$
i just downloaded this app last week! It’s pretty cool. When going on walks, my 6 year old son often asks about the trees, plants, flowers, weeds we pass. Or the vegetation on our property. This app does a great job of identifying them. It also does a great job of offering care tips. Even noticing the health of the plants and offering diagnoses/treatment suggestions. Don’t have enough experience with it yet to speak to the latter, but I’ve been pretty impressed thus far.
 
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