Foster's Flaming sword 'Red'
Vriesea fosteriana 'Red'
Foster's Flaming sword 'Red'
- Large bromeliad from eastern Brazil
- Grows in nature on rocks and soil
- Up to about 90 cm wide
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Description
Vriesea fosteriana is a magnificent, large bromeliad of rocky mountain slopes in the coastal rainforest of eastern Brazil. It has only been found in a few very scattered places and is an endangered species. In nature it does not grow epiphytically on trees like other Vrieseas, but on rocks or soil. The leaf rosettes can grow to about 90 cm wide under optimal conditions, but in cultivation they are usually about 50 to 70 cm high and 30 to 40 cm wide. They form a funnel in the middle with which they collect rainwater in nature. Young plants (pups) develop at the base. The inflorescence grows to about 1 m tall and is brown-red speckled on a green background. In the natural habitats the flowers are visited by bats. V. forsteriana is variable. Our plant is called 'Red' by nurseries and has dark cross-striped leaves with brown-red tones. It may correspond to the form named as V. fosteriana var. seideliana or 'Red Chestnut'.
Like many rainforest bromeliads, Vrieseas absorb water and nutrients through both the roots and the leaves, so they are not purely "air plants" like most Tillandsias. The uptake via the leaves takes place through suction scales (absorbing trichomes) inside the leaf funnels, also called cisterns, with which they collect rainwater and organic waste in nature. If you fasten the Vrieseas onto objects, they need a coarse, permeable substrate for epiphytes for their roots, which is kept slightly moist and should not dry out completely. They are sensitive to high calcium concentration and should only be given soft water. Cultivation in pots or on the terrarium substrate is also possible, but especially then, waterlogging should be avoided at all costs. The place should be bright, but not full sun for daylight cultivation. Spray the plants at least two to three times a week and also add water to the leaf funnel. An orchid and Tillandsia fertiliser can be added with every second watering. Propagation is done by cutting off the pups at the base when they are about a third or half as high as the mother rosette. When a leaf rosette has formed an inflorescence, it dies after fading, but continues to grow through the offsprings at the base.
Adult Vriesea fosteriana 'Red' is an impressive solitary plant for large tropical terrariums, but as a young plant it stays small for a long time and can be used in a variety of ways, even in multiples. Even though it occurs naturally on rocks and soil, it can equally be placed as an epiphyte on branches and trunks. The leaf cisterns of Vriesea fosteriana hold a lot of water and are ideal for poison dart frog species, which naturally breed in water-filled bromeliad funnels.
Profile
| Vriesea fosteriana | |
| Cultivation options | Terrestrial, epiphytic (tying up) |
| Growth height | approx. 50 - 70 cm |
| Temperature | approx. 12 - 28 °C |
| Humidity | At least 60 % with sufficient circulation |
| Light requirement | Bright to sunny |
| Watering | Moderately, once a week by spraying or dipping with calcium-free water |
| Fertilising | Occasionally during growth give small amounts of low nitrogen liquid fertilizer |
| Propagation | Formation of pups after flowering |
| Suitable for | Rainforest terrariums |
| Other | Inflorescence grows to about 1 m high and is brown-red speckled |
| Cultivation options |
| Terrestrial, epiphytic (tying up) |
| Growth height |
| approx. 40 - 60 cm |
| Temperature |
| approx. 19 - 23 °C |
| Humidity |
| Minimum 60 % |
| Light requirement |
| Bright to sunny |
| Watering |
| Moderately, once a week by spraying or dipping with calcium-free water |
| Fertilising |
| Occasionally during growth give small amounts of low nitrogen liquid fertilizer |
| Propagation |
| Formation of pups after flowering |
| Suitable for |
| Rainforest terrariums |
| Other |
| Inflorescence grows to about 1 m high and is brown-red speckled |
Terrarienpflanzen
Our terrarium plants give every terrarium an individual, natural atmosphere and at the same time provide a healthy environment for all terrarium inhabitants. Our wide range of tropical, subtropical and even arid plants are easy to combine and enhance any terrascape. Whether it's strong succulents, subtle tillandsias, eye-catching neoregelias or wonderful orchids - we offer terrarium plants for different terrascapes from rainforest to desert.
General information
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