Billbergia pyramidalis

      Billbergia pyramidalis... what a name, and always reminds of Bilbo and Pyramids... helps me to remember the name most times.

      I have done two other Posts about this flower a few years ago, this is another.  Couldn't resist seeing what my little Nikon L120 might produce.  I was a little disappointed in lack of sharpness, but gosh the results were still okay.  May you enjoy them.. 

Oh and very importantly

I wish you a truly beautiful and rewarding 2015

        Billbergia pyramidalis...
This next photo was done back in March 2011 with my phone Vivaz.  That year the neighbour's garden abounded with the flower and foliage colours.  I could sit on my back steps, collect mail or take out the bins and simply enjoy the view..

Quite a stunning display it was.

        The next lot of photos were done in February 2014, as is the intro photo... though I did notice in its file, that for some reason Nikl... my camera.. recorded the date as February 2013!  Which of course was not possible because we didn't get together until December 2013.  Oh well, that little mystery shall remain being a mystery.

        Now for a little information I may not have fully utilised in the early Posts I did for these flowers...
Billbergia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Bromeliaceae.  The genus is named for the Swedish botanist, zoologist, and anatomist Gustaf Johan Billberg.
        Billbergia is native to the forests and scrubs of southern Mexico and Central and South America, with many species endemic to Brazil.  The genus can be found in altitudes reaching 1,700 m (5,577 ft).  That's quite high.
        Nice to think such flowering takes place way up as well as in everyday neighbouring gardens.
Information gathered from
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billbergia

        And their greenery is often beautiful to photograph...

        Though Billbergia pyramidalis will usually flower on mass during late Summer, the flowers themselves will only last for about a month.  I have found the humid conditions where I live in Queensland Australia have the flowers beginning to wither within days of reaching full bloom.  New flowers keep emerging, but to me, even in a withered state and fading to pinky shades, the remnant flowers still are interesting and beautiful to observe.

        When Billbergia pyramidal is planted in the ground, they quickly form clumps, or if planted near the base of trees, will spread their clumps, and even think about climbing trees.  But I suppose with being both terrestrial or epiphytic, the idea of climbing a tree is quite natural if given the opportunity.
Amid my input is also information I gathered from...
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billbergia_pyramidalis

        They like shade with filtered sunshine to do their best displays.  Also, with being a Bromeliad, their leaves are designed to stand firmly and so collect food and water for sustenance in the central cup formed by the way their leaves group to create their vase shape.  Their roots mainly give anchorage, so poor soil quality suits them just fine.
That bit of information I gleaned from iGarden in Sydney Australia
    http://www.igarden.com.au/plant-type.jsp?id=564&t=Billbergia

        It's silly isn't it when one takes a heap of photos of the same subject, even if from different flowers, and then can't decide which to leave out!
        Well that seems to me what I've done here.  There's rather a similar look to some of these photos.  Oh well, just hope you aren't bored, I'm still unable to leave any behind in a folder in storage.

        That was the last of this series for Billbergia pyramidalis, but I still have one more Bromeliad to share....
        This one I was quite stunned by when I saw it in amid other plants in my neighbour's garden...
The name is - Bromeliad, Aechmea gamosepala var. gamosepala

        Isn't that quite something?  I certainly thought so.
The photo was taken with my phone Vivaz back in August 2011.  So it is a Winter blooming Bromeliad, and that one gets full morning sunshine even with being a bit hidden amid the other plants.  Very difficult to miss Aechmea's distinctive colouring.

        Awesome I find that this Aechmea is also related to the pineapple.  Gives a whole new concept to a pineapple.
        This plant is also known as the 'matchstick plant'.  The nickname suits I think, and it is one of the most well-known of Bromeliads in South America.
        Aechmea gamosepala enjoys cooler temperatures, which explains why it was happily blooming during Winter in South East Queensland.  Winters are mild.
The information amid my words are from...
    http://www.edenproject.com/visit-us/whats-here/plant-highlights

I hope you have enjoyed this presentation.
Is nice to be back.
Hopefully I can do better this year.  I became shockingly ill during April 2014, then went down again during August 2014.  I feel fully recovered now.  Just wonder if I'll make through 2015 without health glitches.  Seems to have been a pattern since 2008.  Annoying, but I am doing better each year I feel, regardless of two times down last year.

         If you would like to see my other 2 Posts on Billbergia pyramidalis, you'll find them under the
'My Environment' label, titled
        "A Journey With Billbergia pyramidalis" - Parts 1 and 2
Both were done back in February of 2011

Thanks for stopping by.

Appreciation felt.