This plant was acquired as a pink clone of A. sagittifolius but appears to be a different species. We thought it was simply a different flower color for Abelmoschus sagittifolius, but when it leafed out, we realized we had a different species. The leaves start off with a soft serrated orbicular appearance, then as the stem progresses, the leaves begin to morph into a trilobed leaf as evidenced in the photo. Very strange!

Not to be confused with Adenium, a completely different genus. Actually succulent forms of the Passifloraceae or Passion Flower family, many Adenias form thick stems which endear them to caudiciform plant lovers. However, when young they little resemble the future finished product. Typical young venenata are tall and resemble an upside-down elongated carrot.

The leaves are accompanied by thread-like tendrils which vine around any available object. The caudex thickens with age and can reach 6 feet in very old plants and the vine can go on for 30 feet or more, but can be trimmed to keep it manageable. Leaves are stelate and the flowers are tiny, green and dioecious. Native to central and eastern Africa.

A hardy Australian hybrid named for the gold rush town of Gympie. The plants are upright somewhat tubular rosettes about 20 inches tall, with gray-green leaves and an inflorescence resembling both parents, Ae. gamosepala x caudata, with simple or branching pink spikes and showy yellow flowers. Fairly cold hardy.

A beautifully variegated form of Aechmea apocalyptica, a hardy species with fairly stiff leaves boldly striped with white.

The inflorescence is showy, a cylindrical spike of ‘match stick’ flowers of bright orange with blue petals.

A rare large species from Bahia, Brazil that has an upright vase shape to about 30 inches tall, with wide, stiff and very spiny leaves.  The most outstanding character is that it takes on a red coloration from the leaf tips downward to about half the leaf as it matures.  The remainder of the leaf is light green. 

Does not bloom often and there is sometimes a bit of confusion with this species and similar Hohenbergia castellanosii, a larger plant with wider leaves and larger spines. Although the coloration is similar, the Hohenbergia has a ‘bloom’ or light veneer of a waxy powder over the leaf surfaces.  Aechmea ampla is glabrous or glossy. 

Of course, the surest way to tell is by the bloom, if you are lucky to see one!  Aechmea ampla has a laxly, bipinately branched green spike with very long branches and short sub branches bearing green sepals with pink flowers.