Does anyone know what this is

hi there happy new year! you have a Guzmania, they are fairly easy to keep, they like humidity - bathroom or kitchen would be ideal, and not too much direct sunlight! - no cold drafts, soil needs to be moist - don't allow it to dry out but bewere of overwatering. once the flower finishes, cut the stem down to base, and water less often you will find that the rosette will die but you should get lots of babys growing at the base before this happens, which you need to pot up in spring and they should flower the following year! but before they do you can put a little water in the centre of the plant when watering - it acts as a little cup and it does like this it also like misting on the leaves - good luck!

I bought my Mother in Law a Bromeliad (same family as the above Guzmania) last Mothers Day. She now has seven youngsters from the original plant doing very nicely on her kitchen window sill.
Happy new gardening year, Gareth.

yes quite right max, they are all very simular, i also have urn plants, tillandsia, and billbergia, as well as a guzmania, and i treat them all exactly the same, sometimes you have to wait a while for them to come back into flower but in my experience its well worth the wait!

Many thanks for your prompt reply.

Happy new year to you all

And billbergia nutans is hardy down to -7C so in the balmy south, it can be outside all year round

hi Andrew, i did'nt know that! but i do have some in my pourch which is cold, but frost free and they seem to do fine - have'nt put any in my garden though! would'nt have thought they would respond to well to heavy frost and snow! but we do get away with quite a lot out side all year round,

I've had one in a pot wedged on my apple tree for two years now and it's fine. Might try splitting it up this year, wrapping the roots in sphagnum moss and wiring that to the tree to make it look a bit more natural.

i bet that looks really good andrew, i have seen an old tree branch cemented in a pot about 6ft high, with all different types of bromeliad attatched with wire and moss - it did look fantastic, because this is how the grow naturally is'nt it. but it was however in a posh office block, so it was inside all year round. i would love to see some pic's when you have done it! i would imagine that if they are on the trunk of a tree that would offer a small amount of protection from severe weather in the winter too. good luck with it - look forward to seeing the results!