Vriesia: description, care and reproduction at home

HomeAll flowers that start with VVriesia: description, care and reproduction at home

Vriesia or bromeliad is an ornamental home plant native to Central or South America. In botanical reference books, the vriesia indoor flower is most often called friesea (not to be confused with freesia from the Iris family). To achieve flowering vriesia, you will have to work hard, and above all, protect the plant from drafts and the negative effects of sunlight.

How does vriesia (bromeliad) bloom?

Vriesia flower (Vriesia) belongs to the genus Frizeya, the Bromeliad family.

The first description of vriesia from the Bromeliad family was given in 1893. The plants are named after the Dutch botanist (latinized version of the surname) V. de Vries (1807–1862), includes about 250 species of epiphytic, less often terrestrial plants, distributed from the West Indies, Colombia and Venezuela to Brazil and Argentina; grows mainly in forests.

More than 150 species are known in room culture. Most vriesia species have long (up to several months) flowering periods. In interior gardening, you can use both individual plants and their compositions with other species.

The vriesia houseplant forms a rosette typical of most bromeliads, the center of which must be filled with clean water. A peduncle grows from the center, bearing an inflorescence spike with bright orange densely packed bracts.

As you can see in the photo, vriesia flowers appear between the bracts, they are small, yellow, similar to cancer claws:

Smooth hard dark green leaves are decorated with brown transverse stripes. Many species are grown precisely because of the beautiful leaves, but some form interesting inflorescences, for example in the form of a candelabra. The rosette of the vriesia plant grows up to 40 cm in diameter and 30 cm in height. The inflorescence can rise up to 50 cm in height. The larger the outlet, the higher the inflorescence.

When you see bright red, as if waxy inflorescences in the store, raised above a rosette of slightly bent leaves, you will certainly stop to admire it. Sometimes the leaves are also painted with red stripes or a dark green marble pattern. Unfortunately, after flowering and fruiting, the plant will have to part with this charming rosette: it will die along with the inflorescence. In good conditions, indoor vriesia flowers from the Bromeliad family have time to reproduce daughter rosettes, with which they are propagated. But before the new flowering, young plants will have to live another 2–2.5 years.

Vriesia usually blooms in summer. However, the flowering period also depends on the time of planting and the appearance of shoots. Sometimes flower growers complain that some vriesias do not bloom. In this situation, it can be recommended to stimulate flowering with ethylene. Flowering in bromeliads is stimulated by small doses of ethylene. Ethylene is a gaseous organic substance that the plant produces itself under certain conditions of temperature, daylight hours and watering. For flowering and fruiting of bromeliads, ethylene is added artificially at the right time for the gardener. Since ethylene is released by ripening fruits, it is enough to take a bunch of bananas and a pot with a plant and wrap them in a plastic bag (so that the ethylene does not evaporate). Most often, it is unnecessary to artificially stimulate the flowering of plants.

See how vriesia blooms at home:

They often grow brilliant vriesia and hieroglyphic vriesia, with beautiful dewy painted leaves collected in rosettes.

Below you can find photos, names and descriptions of the types of freesia cultivated in home floriculture.

Indoor vriesia flowers from the Bromeliad family: species names and photos at the time of flowering

Most popular with flower growers:

Vriesia giant (V. gigantea) – the leaves are reddish-lilac below.

V. royal (V. regina) – flowers with a pleasant aroma.

V. brilliant (V. splendens) – one of the most beautiful species, reddish-brown stripes on the leaves.

V. perforated (V. fenestralis) – beautiful dark green veins on the leaves.

Vriesea brilliantVriesea splendens, (Brongn.) Let .

Homeland – from Eastern Venezuela to Guiana. It grows at an altitude of 300-1250 m above sea level, in forests.

Vriesia brilliant – an epiphytic or terrestrial plant with a few tongue-shaped green leaves, decorated with transverse purple stripes, forming a wide funnel-shaped rosette. In culture, garden forms with a variety of leaf colors are known.

Pay attention to the photo – in indoor flowers vriesia of this species, yellow flowers are decorated with bright red decorative bracts:

Blooms in May – July.

When flowering ends, the rosette of tiger leaves dies off, but not immediately. First, several offspring are formed around it, which can sometimes bloom without waiting for the death of the mother rosette. A month or two after the appearance, these lateral offspring form three or four leaves and a weak root system. This is the best time to separate them and plant each in a separate pot filled with sphagnum. In a warm room (26–28 ° C), they will gradually take root, getting used to independent living.

Plant height 30–60 cm. Leaves 20–40 cm long, green with purple horizontal stripes; belt-like, wide, with curved edges, pointed or rounded at the apex; covered with scales on both sides; assembled into a socket.

As shown in the photo, this type of vriesia has flowers 2.5–5 cm in size, yellow, collected in simple spike-shaped, multi-color inflorescences:

Flowers appear at any time of the year on a flat, xiphoid red bract.

At present, varieties with a branched spike-shaped inflorescence have been obtained, which are even more attractive, for example:

Major.

Splendid.

Flamendes Schwert.

Angelina.

Rex.

Vriesea giantVriesea gigantea, Gaudich.

In culture since 1882. Distributed in Eastern Brazil; in coastal rainforests; up to 500 m above sea level. Epiphytic or terrestrial plant up to 1 m tall, with numerous leaves forming a large, dense, funnel-shaped rosette. Blooms rarely.

Leaves 60-100 cm long, 6-9 cm wide, linear, lingual; narrowed towards the apex, with a pointed end; whole; covered with scales on both sides; hard; green, with a thin yellow mesh pattern.

Peduncle straight, strong; its leaves are green, pointed, erect; densely arranged, leaning on each other. The inflorescence is a complex spike, loose, double-pinnate, up to 1 m long (together with the peduncle), 40 cm in diameter, slightly pubescent. Twigs up to 45 cm long, equal, many-flowered; the axis of the inflorescence is sinuous. Covering leaves (at the base of the lower branches) are oval, pointed, convex, leathery, reaching the middle of the sepals. Flowers sessile, up to 4.7 cm long, two-row, almost erect. Sepals are free, up to 3–7 cm long, oval, pointed. Petals free, 4–5 cm long, oval, narrowed towards the apex; greenish yellow; at the base with two long, pointed scales. The stamens are shorter than the petals.

The fruit is a cylindrical capsule 4 cm long.

Vriesia green -flowered Vriesea viridiflora, Wittm. ex Mez.

In culture since 1935. Distributed in Central America, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and Guyana; in subtropical forests; at an altitude of 600-1050 m above sea level. Epiphytic plant up to 1 m tall, with numerous leaves forming a dense, flat, funnel-shaped rosette. Blooms in February – March.

Leaves up to 55 cm long, 3–4 cm wide, linear, tongue-shaped, pointed at the apex, with an entire non-relief edge; dense; bare above, green below; slightly pubescent. Peduncle straight, 4–5 mm in diameter. The leaves on it are erect, broadly oval, pointed, twisted into a tube, straw yellow.

Inflorescence 15–18 cm long, spike-shaped, dense, two-row. Bracts widely oval Vriesia green-flowered, obtuse, leathery, green, brown at the end. Flowers erect, up to 5 cm long, on thick pedicels 4–5 mm long. Sepals free, oval, obtuse, 1.5–2 cm long. Petals are also free, up to 4 cm long, oblong, truncated and notched at the top; at the base with two sharp, dissected scales, white.

The fruit is a fusiform capsule up to 4 cm long.

Vriesia hieroglyphicVriesea hieroglyphica, Hook. ex. Walp.

Flowers are spectacular. The inflorescences of this bromeliad are pyramidal, up to 50 cm high, with yellow flowers and green bracts. There are hybrids with bracts brightly colored in red and yellow tones.

The leaves are very decorative. The hieroglyphic vriesia has dark green spots on the leaves, resembling the letters v, w, etc.

Vriesia hybrids with green foliage, such as Carolien, are also found.

Other varieties of vriesia

Vriesia keeledVriesiea carinata, Wawr .

In culture since 1881. Distributed in Eastern Brazil (states of Bahia, Rio Grande do Sul); in subtropical and tropical forests; at altitudes up to 900 m above sea level. A large number of both natural and artificially obtained hybrids are known. Epiphytic or terrestrial plant, 24–36 cm tall. Blooms in June-July, November-December.

It has 12–24 leaves, forming a dense, funnel-shaped rosette 15–20 cm in diameter.

Leaves 15–27 cm long, 1–2 (up to 3.2) cm wide, linear, lingual; pointed or rounded at the apex, with a short cusp; whole; on both sides covered with barely noticeable scales; soft; light green.

Peduncle straight or drooping, very thin. The leaves on it are erect, densely covering the axis, oval, pointed, thin, pale green, pink or reddish. The inflorescence is short and wide, almost square, up to 6 cm long, 5 cm in diameter, with a triangular notch at the top, rises above the rosette of leaves, few-flowered, spike-shaped, dense, flattened, glabrous, its axis is articulated, thin.

Bracts are very narrow, thin, 3–4.4 cm long, 1.2–1.6 cm wide, larger than the sepals, bent upwards at the end, with a sharp keel, bright red, yellow or green at the top and along the edges. Flowers up to 5.8 cm long, on short stalks. Sepals are free, lanceolate, up to 3 cm long, with a short cusp, keeled. Petals free, 3.5–4.5 cm long, linear, obtuse, yellow, green at the apex; at the base with two large blunt scales.

The fruit is a box.

Vriesea Marnier-LapostolleiVriesea marnier-lapostollei, LB Sm .

It was introduced into culture late, since 1964. Homeland – Costa Rica. It grows in tropical forests, at an altitude of up to 1100 m above sea level. A small epiphytic plant reaches 30 cm in height. Blooms in March, July.

Leaves in an amount of about 20 form a dense, funnel-shaped rosette. They are up to 14 cm long, 2.2 cm wide, broad-linear; at the apex with a sharp tip, entire; covered with pale scales on both sides; dense; dark green, with regular longitudinal red stripes.

Peduncle very thin, straight. The leaves on it are densely arranged, lean on each other; small, tightly close the axis. Inflorescence spike-shaped, six to nine-flowered. Bracts broadly oval, pointed, smooth. Flowers 3.5–4 cm long, on a very short pedicel, nearly erect. Sepals free, up to 1.4 cm long, oval, obtuse, leathery, smooth. Petals free, 3–3.5 cm long, oval, tapering towards the apex, obtuse, yellow; at the base with two leathery, serrated scales.

The fruit of this variety of vriesia is a box.

Vriesia perforatedVriesea fenestralis, Lind. ex Andre.

In culture since 1875. Distributed in Eastern Brazil (states of Esprito Santo, Rio de Janeiro and Parana). It grows in tropical forests, from the coast to 1700 m above sea level. An epiphytic or rocky outcrop plant, 50-100 cm tall, with a dense, funnel-shaped rosette. Blooms in November – December.

Leaves 35–50 cm long, 6.5–8 cm wide, broadly linear; at the top with a pointed tip; curved; whole; glabrous above, covered with scales below; pale green, with yellow-green longitudinal and transverse narrow stripes.

Peduncle straight, strong, bare, green, rises above the rosette. The leaves on it are erect, oval, pointed or pointed, green with small red-brown spots. Inflorescence – sprawling, many-flowered raceme, 52 cm long; axis is straight. Bracts up to 3 cm long, broadly oval, obtuse; green, with dark dots.

Flowers up to 4.5 cm long, bi-row, on pedicels up to 1 cm long. Sepals are free, up to 3.6 cm long, narrowly oval, green with spots. Petals are also free, up to 4 cm long, broadly oval, with a notch at the top, greenish-yellow; at the base with two large pointed scales.

The fruit is a box.

Vriesea SandersVriesea saundersii, Morr .

In culture since 1874. Distributed in Eastern Brazil (states of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo); common in tropical forests, and also settles on coastal rocks. Terrestrial plant with wide funnel-shaped rosette. In culture, it is used in group flower arrangements. The period of decorativeness lasts all year round. Blooms in December – October.

The leaves are curved down, broadly linear, entire, with a recurved apex, 20–30 cm long, 3.5–5.5 cm wide, ashy in color, dotted with purple-brown small spots and dots below.

Size up to 50-60 cm tall. The flowers are very beautiful. The peduncle is straight, strong, covered with erect, recurved, elliptical, pointed leaves at the top.

The inflorescence is a loose panicle of several few-flowered racemes with slightly sinuous axes. Flowers arranged in two rows, bent away from the axis, yellow, on short thick pedicels; bracts longer than sepals; both are pale green or yellowish. Petals reed-shaped, 3.5 cm long.

The optimum temperature for growing a vriesia flower at home is 16–22 ° C. Lighting is required moderate, partial shade.

Humidity should be high, it is recommended to spray regularly with a fine spray. In the process of caring for vriesia at home, you need to water the plant moderately in summer; on sunny days, the outlet can be filled with water, preventing it from stagnation for a long time. Top dressing is done once a month with a semi-concentrated flower fertilizer in spring and summer.

When grown and cared for at home, this plant is very sensitive to transplantation, therefore it is transplanted only when absolutely necessary. The best time for this procedure is spring.

The fruit is a box.

Growing and caring for indoor vriesia flower at home (with photo and video)

In floriculture, more than 150 species of vriesia are already grown. They are among the most thermophilic compared to other bromeliads. Their successful culture is possible in rooms where a uniformly high temperature is maintained. When caring for a vriesia indoor flower in summer, the temperature in the room should be at least 20-24 ° C, in winter – at least 15-17 ° C.

Vriesia requires protection from direct sunlight. It is best to place it on the northern windows. Responds very well to lighting in winter. Heat loving plant.

Grow in pots or on a support as epiphytes. The root system is poorly developed, so the pots are small, with a significant drainage layer (up to a third of the pot). In the process of caring for the vriesia flower at home, do not forget that these plants are photophilous, and in winter it is better to place them on a south window. In the summer, shade them from direct sunlight or move them to another window. Among them there are also shade-tolerant plants that prefer northern windows.

Due to their beauty and unpretentiousness, vriesias are more suitable than other bromeliads for keeping indoors. Before planting, they are dried for 2-2.5 hours in a warm place. Plant it in a simple clay pot. Expanded clay or broken shards are poured at the bottom with a layer of 3-4 cm. The substrate should be loose and nutritious.

Soddy and leafy soil, high and lowland peat, sand, crushed pine or larch bark, sphagnum moss are mixed in a ratio of 3:3:3:3:0.5:0.5:0.5. It is useful to add crushed charcoal. The root system of vriesia is rather weak, so it does not like frequent transplants. But before the inflorescence appears, vriesia must be transplanted twice. The dried tips of the leaves and the dead inflorescence are removed.

These photos show how to care for vriesia indoor flowers:

When caring for a vriesia flower at home twice a month, during the period of active growth (spring and summer), the plant is fed with fertilizers for Bromeliads or a weak solution of a complete mineral fertilizer. It is preferable to spray leaves with such a solution. Once every 2-3 years, a transplant is done.

Epiphytic forms can be cultivated on a piece of bark, on decorative snags or on a substrate, the main component of which is crushed bark mixed with high-moor peat, leafy soil and humus, with the addition of pieces of charcoal. As a soil for terrestrial vriesias, only a specialized earth mixture “For orchids and bromeliads” should be used (if other vriesias are used, it may die).

V. Sanders is cultivated in soil mixtures with a predominance of fibrous soddy soil and with the addition of a relatively small amount of sand (these components can be added additionally to the above-mentioned ready-made soil mixture).

Possible problems: vriesia does not tolerate drafts, the plant weakens from them, it may not bloom. The brown tips of the leaves indicate dry air (it is necessary to increase the humidity level) or a lack of potassium, although more often – about both problems at once. Pale brown dry spots on the leaves, atypical for their color, are a sign of a sunburn. To avoid this, you need to set the plant away from the window glass.

Watch the video “Care for vriesia at home” to better understand how to grow this plant:

Watering the soil when caring for vriesia: how to water the plant correctly

The plant does not have a pronounced dormant period, so regular watering is needed, only slightly less often in winter. When watering on warm sunny days, you can fill rosettes of leaves with water. In the summer, keep a clod of earth constantly wet.

How to water vriesia correctly so that the plant blooms as long as possible? The center of the outlet should always be filled with water, except during the growth of the inflorescence – it rots in the water! In summer, the plant is watered three times a week, in winter – once or twice. If the temperature in winter falls below the optimum level, stop filling the outlet with water. For irrigation, use water at room temperature that does not contain calcium.

In winter, the amount of moisture consumed decreases. Instead of traditional watering, epiphytic forms during the period of active growth should be removed from the support once every 10 days and immersed in soft water until saturated, and then returned to their place. During flowering, spraying cannot be carried out; during this period, only air is sprayed at a certain distance from the plant or atmospheric humidity is increased in other ways.

When caring for vriesia indoor flowers at home, do not forget that these plants love moist air, so it is good to place the pots on wet pebbles or in containers filled with wet peat. Spray the leaves often with warm, soft water.

How does the vriesia flower reproduce?

Vriesia is propagated by offspring from the mother plant. With seed propagation, seedlings bloom in the third or fourth year.

The life of the vriesia, like most bromeliads, is rather short. It begins with the separation of shoots from the mother plant, and ends with flowering and the formation of new shoots. The plant usually lives 2–2.5 years.

Knowing how vriesia reproduces, it is easiest to grow a new flower from shoots that grow from the mother plant after flowering.

The shoots are very carefully separated along with the roots and transplanted into small pots, in a mixture consisting of leafy earth (3 parts), pine bark (1 part) and sand (1 part).

When caring for and propagating vriesia at home, from the moment of separation for three weeks, the temperature in the room is maintained at 24 ° C, as well as high humidity (you can cover the pot with young plants with a plastic bag on an arc support).

The plant is propagated in spring or summer, but not earlier than the shoots reach half the height of the mother plant.

Vriesia can also be propagated by seeds. However, this requires special laboratory conditions.

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