Hardy Bromeliads?

[plantguy]

Does anyone know of any 8a hardy bromeliads?

[edds]

PXL_20221023_143654819.jpg (410 KiB) Viewed 2916 times

Fascicularia bicolor

I'm sure Paul can offer a few other suggestions too.

[Paul S]

Well, I do have a big interest in hardy bromeliads but only in a UK centric way, growing conditions are not really comparable.

I think USDA zone 8a means the average annual low is 10F, which is around -12C. That's actually colder than it has been in my region since I have been alive (b1957) So the absolute low temp would be a good deal lower, I guess, so long term I have no idea if many bromeliads could cope with z8a. Probably some dyckias, most of which I have limited experience with as they aren't widely available over here.

The USDA hardiness zone system is really only a number crunching system and, mathematiocally at least, my regions falls into USDA z9a. My coldest winter over the past 30 years was a low of -8C, two weeks below freezing day and night with 60cm of wet snow that froze/thawed between December and April. Surrvivors of those conditions are the following.

The one above that Ed mentions - Fascicularia bicolor ssp canaliculata. I believe that is hardy to -15C or so. There is another fascicularia, F. bicolor ssp bicolor, which has wider, shorter, more succulent leaves, shy of flowering. Much less hardy.
Greigia sphacelata I think is about the same hardiness-wise
Ochagavia andina, should take lower than -8C.
Ochagavia carnea not been tested that low but should take -8C
Puya spathacea - I know folks who grow this in colder regions down to -15C
Puya alpestris.
Puya venusta
Puya assurgens
Puya berteroniana x chilensis
Puya aff. castellanosii
Dyckia 'Morris Hobbs'
Dyckia platphylla
Billbergia nutans (slightly damaged but recovered)
Aechmea recurvata and it's cvs 'Benrathii' and 'Ortgesii'.

I grow many more but not for such a long time. Given time I could compile a list of bromeliads I have tried but lost, but that is a long list!

There is some info on this website:

https://fcbs.org/index.html

Click on the 'bromeliad information' on the left hand side menu, then 'Cultivation.

I am not sure how these data were compiled and they only recorded results down to 20F, not below.

[Melt in the Sun]

Paul, that is an amazingly helpful response!

plantguy - I was also going to suggest Puya, though they don't fit the typical aesthetic that screams "bromeliad"! Assuming you're in the US, Arid Lands has a rotating selection of species:
https://aridlandswholesale.com/oscommer ... th=147_281

Right now only chilensis, but if you check every now and then you'll see lots of things come through there. Just a couple months ago I bought P. mirabilis, and they had venusta as well.

It would be helpful if you shared your general location - 8a in Arizona will be very different than 8a in Georgia or Washington.

[plantguy]

My general location is the east coast, currently NC but soon to be VA, and yes, there is a nice tiny strip of 8a there, you just have to look closely

[plantguy]

If you think it will live, I may get a trachycarpus palm and mount the fascicularia on it, as I have heard of people doing the same thing. I also really like puya, but I always heard they were 8b.

[Paul S]

Trachy should be fine. I have heard of trunked ones surviving -20C and lower, which is below zero in F I think. And fascicularia will grow quite happily as an epiphyte although it does get big. I've read, but not seen, that Greigia sphacelata can also grow as an epiphyte, but that gets even bigger. The puya to try is P. spathacea - as far as I have been able to find out it is the hardiest. They are quick and easy from seed, anyhow.

Edit - this link gives 10 palms that should be hardy in 8a Virginia
https://www.florida-palm-trees.com/virginia-palm-trees/

[plantguy]

Any ideas on protection that aren't either crazy expensive or time consuming to set up that may nearly guarantee the survival of all the above plants Paul S listed?

[nsp88]

Billbergia nutans (slightly damaged but recovered)

How have your winters been since this post? Any extremes that might give more info on what this one can tolerate?

I might be able to get one at the swap tomorrow, and would like to be able to keep it outside.

[Paul S]

Since I wrote that the winters have been 'reasonably' mild, albeit one early one. But B. nutans still ok. I would say give it a go. They are easy to come by if it dies and you want to try again. If you have an evergreen tree you can grow it in with good canopy cover even better.

[nsp88]

Since I wrote that the winters have been 'reasonably' mild, albeit one early one. But B. nutans still ok. I would say give it a go. They are easy to come by if it dies and you want to try again. If you have an evergreen tree you can grow it in with good canopy cover even better.

Awesome, thanks