Billbergia nutans 

Billbergia nutans  “Queen’s Tears” is an epyphytic bromeliad – a plant that prefers to live on tree trunks and extract the nutrients that they need from the air around them.

If you break it down: epi = upon  and phyte = plant.

The Bromeliad part refers to a giant, very diverse family (that includes the pineapple) that are more or less succulent or have other adaptations to resist drought

Though the flowering season is brief (3-4 weeks), the experience is so unique that it is well worth the wait every year.

Originally from South America, they enjoy warm weather so make sure to bring her inside when it gets chilly outside!

The Tale:

Billbergia nutans contains her specificity in her name: the name “nutans” means nodding in Latin.

Watch the flowers begin their nodding journey anywhere between April and May.

The Bromeliad family is thought to have originated on the tepuis (table top mountains) of Central America  – these structures are completely isolated from the ground forest, making them ecological islands, allowing for completely unique species to evolve there without any interaction with the rest of the world. Could this be part of the reason that Billbergia nutans is so striking? Maybe…