# How long will most Neoregelia live?



## npaull (May 8, 2005)

Anyone have a good idea of the "lifespan" of a single bromeliad, say a Neoregelia fireball or a related species? I'm not talking about "life through pupping," but just the continued existence of one radially symmetrical individual.


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## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

Thats a darn good question. I don't know the answer, but I'm sure its different from species to species. This assuming that the conditions for the particular plant are ideal. I know some species can live quite a while b/c of thier adult size.

When I was at Tropiflora last weekend I saw a brom that was the size of a motorcyle. It was massive, I can't imagine how old that one was.


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## wishIwereAnExpert (Jul 18, 2005)

If the pups are not cut away, neo pups will "eat" the mother, so naturally, they only live until they pup.

-Solly


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## npaull (May 8, 2005)

...and if the pups are cut away?


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## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

wishIwereAnExpert said:


> If the pups are not cut away, neo pups will "eat" the mother, so naturally, they only live until they pup.
> 
> -Solly


Really?


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## wishIwereAnExpert (Jul 18, 2005)

I've never seen that. I stand corrected.

Impressive plant.

-Solly


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## geckguy (Mar 8, 2004)

Unless the pups are removed, the pups will gradually overtake it and the mother will rot away eventually, but it isn't noticeable because 3-4 pups have taken its place. That plant isn't one mother, with dozens of pups, but a group of pups that now have their own pups.


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## defaced (May 23, 2005)

I've seen a few different Neos like that via pictures online. 

The longest I've had a brom was my orignal Neo Tropiflora, which was around three years. I accidently killed it by putting it outside on the South side of my house in July. Lasted less than a week. If I had kept it in a viv and removed the pups it would have lasted alot longer. That is how I learned that Noes like strong, indirect light. 

From what I've read on here, Neos bloom, then pup, then the mother plant is taken over. Maybe I missed it, but I've got a Tropiflora that hasn't bloomed and is pupping right now. The plant doesn't even look full grown as the leaves are about half the width of my mature plant. My mature plant bloomed about six months ago and produced about 8 pups, stopped, and is pupping again. I'm curious to see if this cycle will continue, or if the mother plant will wither away.


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## Guest (Apr 22, 2006)

*Neoregelia longivity*

I have personally had some Neoregelia live over tens years, potted in clay pots. They were overwatered by someone while I was on an extend vacation and rotted or they would probably still be alive. These were larger species than those commonly used in terrariums. Hope this helps a little. 
P.S. my first post. Starting to get more deeply entrenched in dart frogs. This could be dangerous. John


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## KeroKero (Jun 13, 2004)

The age broms can last depends loosely on adult size - and how long it takes them to get there. The brom the size of a motorcycle could take 10-15 years (or longer - that age is off a species that gets about 4 feet wide) before it gets full grown and will flower.

Cutting pups off the mother plant will have her living significantly longer than if you leave the pups on. This isn't because they pups "eat" or "kill" her, its because her life cycle has been carried out, she's done her part in reproduction both sexually (floweres and hopefully seeds) and asexually (pupping her "clones"). If a certain number of pups survive to a certain size, the mother kicks the bucket, which allows the pups more room to grow (they need it more than she does, its beneficial to her offspring for her to die and give them the room). Now if you take her pups off, she's going to continue to live and pup until either you let the pups take over like nature wanted, or she just runs out of steam and can't do it anymore (plus from the plants point of view the pups are removed which is like having them killed, no point in putting plants where they will be continuously killed, its obviously not a good spot). This is similar to our PDFs laying clutches when we grab their eggs after a few days - they aren't programmed to lay that often, they are just programmed to replace eggs that were predated ASAP.

Those big baskets of plants are all within one to threeish generations of each other - mothers producing pups who might also be producing pups (some types will produce pups way before they flower, I've seen this on stoloniforus types). These huge baskets can take generations and generations of broms to produce, and I'd bet for every 3 or so pupping broms, there was a mother plant that died for them. Sorry Antone, that fireball display has been nicely groomed so you just don't see where momma plant used to be (actually in a couple spots you can...).

We use some of the smallest species and cultivars of bromeliads in the world, so going by the size vs. age factor, they are going to be shorter lived, more like 2-3 years.


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## Guest (Apr 22, 2006)

I was in Coral Gables today for the Bromeliad Show & Sale and I saw a HUGE clump of fireballs on an oak just like that one...I wish I had taken my camera, it was great. They also had a very large rainforest greenhouse with all sorts of tropical plants. I'm definately going back sometime next month so I'll bring it then.


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