Alcantarea imperialis is the most regal and is considered the signature species of this genus. It is one of the giants of the bromeliad family. This Bromeliad grows to a span of more than 1.5 metres, although it can take up to ten years to get to this size. The thick flower spike reaches up to 3.5 metres in height, producing hundreds of slightly fragrant creamy white flowers. The green, slightly ribbed leaves are quite leathery and tough with a distinctive waxy bloom over the surface, giving a bluish colouration from a distance.
This species can withstand relatively cool nights.
It has become clear over the past decade that Alcantarea imperialis is a variable species. The bright red form that is usually called ‘Rubra’ is just one expression of this species, and the dark purple type, usually called ‘Purple’, is another. There are many others, with varying widths of leaf, and varying amounts of red or purple pigment. Unfortunately, from seed the parent characteristics don’t always come through, so from a ‘Rubra’, the grower will get a percentage of ‘Rubra’ a percentage of ‘Purple’ and lots of green and intermediate foliage colours.
Alcantarea imperialis doesn’t show its’ true colour and form till about 3-4 years of age, as colour and form are so dependent on growing conditions.
Pricing
Grade
Height Indication
Price
Available
Order
8.5 litre pot
$150
1
All prices are in NZ$ and GST inclusive but exclude freight (if applicable).
Grades
At Coast Palms and Cycads you will receive your plant contained in one of four different ways.
Either in a
a PB**
a plant pot
wrapped in horticultural gladwrap – usually only used for field grown specimens
in an ezylift – a woven plastic bag with handles
**PB refers to pints – 1 Pint = 600ml, as a rough guide multiply the PB number by .6 to get the volume in litres of the bag.
The number on a PB bag signifies the volume which is measured in pints of soil.
Below are some examples of how the conversion rate works..
PB 12 210mm x 185mm equivalent to 10 litres of soil
PB 18 250mm x 210mm equivalent to 12 litres of soil
Note: The height of the plant does not always correlate with bag size – it varies depending on species and the length of time the plant has been potted into a particular bag.
Height Indication
The trees are always growing so the heights change with growth.
The ‘height indication’ description is just that … an indication.
It’s mainly to give you an idea of what height the tree will be when you receive it.
We measure the height from the base of the trunk to the top of the highest leaves. We do not do a diameter spread measurement of many plants we sell except for the odd succulent or cycad.
We are currently experiencing a lot of demand for our trees so there is always pressure to put them out for sale as soon as they are bedded in the bag, this can occasionally mean they will measure smaller than the height indication shown.
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