Queen’s Tears / Friendship Plant

Billbergia nutans

description

Queen’s Tears is an easy bromeliad with arching leaves and dangling multicoloured flowers.

benefits

Pet-friendly, non-toxic to animals
Suitable for containers

How to care for Queen’s Tears

sunlight

In its South American habitat, Queen's Tears grows in dappled woodland light. Give it bright, filtered light indoors to keep the leaves sturdy and encourage its dangling blooms.

Bright indirect light

Place near an east or north window, or a little back from a brighter window behind a sheer curtain. A few hours of gentle morning sun is usually welcome.

Medium indirect light - tolerated

It can stay healthy in a brighter room away from the window, but may grow more slowly and flower less. Avoid hot, direct afternoon sun, which can scorch the leaves.

If the leaves become long, soft, or unusually dark green, move the plant closer to brighter filtered light.

watering

Keep the potting mix lightly moist in active growth, but never soggy. Water the soil and let excess drain away, then keep a little fresh water in the leaf cup.

Spring and summer

Water about every 7-10 days, when the top 2-3 cm of mix feels dry and the pot is lighter. In bright, warm conditions it may dry faster. Do not let the root ball stay dry for long while new growth is forming.

Refresh the water in the leaf cup weekly, and flush it out occasionally to prevent stagnant water and mineral buildup.

Autumn and winter

Water roughly every 2-3 weeks, only after more of the mix has dried. Keep the cup just lightly filled or empty it in cool, dim rooms, where water dries slowly. Lower light, cool temperatures, a large pot, and dense mix all mean less frequent watering.

Use a free-draining mix and never leave the pot standing in runoff. Constantly wet roots can rot.

humidity

Average home humidity

40-60%

Queen's Tears is an epiphytic bromeliad from humid South American forests, but it adapts well to ordinary indoor air. Around 50% is ideal, while 40% is usually fine if it is watered well and kept out of hot, dry drafts.

Crisp brown leaf tips or curling edges can mean the air is too dry, especially near heating or air conditioning.

How to increase humidity

Move it away from radiators, vents, and fans.
Group it with other plants or use a humidifier during dry winter heating.
Do not mist as the main solution - it raises humidity only briefly.

temperature

Preferred temperature

18-27°C (65-80°F)

Winter minimum

10°C (50°F)

Native to southern South America, Queen's Tears handles ordinary indoor warmth and slightly cool winters better than many bromeliads. Keep it above 10°C (50°F), especially if the potting mix is damp, and protect it from frost.

Move it away from cold window glass and drafty doors when nights fall below 10°C (50°F).

Cold, wet roots are more likely to rot, so water less while temperatures are below 18°C (65°F).

nutrition

March - August

Feed about once a month while it is actively growing, using a balanced liquid houseplant or bromeliad fertilizer at quarter to half strength. Apply to already-moist compost, then stop feeding when growth slows in autumn and winter.

Nitrogen

Nitrogen supports healthy new leaves. A lightly diluted balanced feed is enough, since this bromeliad is not a heavy feeder.

Potassium

Potassium supports sturdy growth and flowering. A general balanced fertilizer supplies it without needing a separate product.

Flush the pot with plain water every few months to prevent fertilizer salts building up around the roots.

soil

Chunky, airy, fast-draining soil

Queen's Tears has epiphytic roots that need air as much as moisture. Use an orchid-style mix with fine bark, perlite, and a little peat-free potting mix or coco coir to hold some moisture without becoming soggy.

pH 5,5 - 6,5

This is slightly acidic, similar to the leaf litter and bark debris it grows in naturally. Most orchid or bromeliad mixes are suitable, or use a regular houseplant mix diluted with bark and perlite.

Choose a pot with drainage holes and keep the mix loose - dense compost can cause the roots to rot.