THE PINEAPPLE FAMILY. Bromeliaceae 
The Bromeliads are not bulbs, but that is all I can say against them. They 
have a rich tropical beauty in foliage and flower. Tender, but easily grown in 
pots in the north. They need shade with occasional flecks of sun but not deep, 
cool shade as they like warmth and light. With a little ‘‘too’’ much sun the 
leaves color gorgeously, but be careful of too ‘‘too’’ much as they burn badly 
then. 
Give an abundance of water when growing, with their cups filled and but ~ 
little in winter when at rest. 
Their preferred soil is almost pure leaf mould. They will grow easily in 
sandy garden soil. We use half peat and half rich sandy loam. 
Billbergia amoena. A dwarf, but one of the showiest. Flowers thru 
spring, summer to early fall on well established plants. Bronze and green 
foliage, green flowers tipped dark blue and large floral bracts of brilliant 
orange. $1.50. 
B. calophylla. Attractive large green leaves, with transverse bars of grey 
on outside. Blood red flower bracts and dark blue flowers. Freeblooming thru 
warm weather. $1.50 and $2.00. 
B. Distachia hybrid. Foliage reddish green with cream spots. Long spikes 
with rose pink bracts and blue margines green flowers. Blooms in early spring 
and a few in late summer. 75c and $1.00. 
B. Euphemia. Grey green foliage, lightly barred on back. Royal purple 
flowers with pale pink bracts. It increases by underground stolons that may 
appear several inches from mother plant. If grown in a wire hanging basket in 
sphagnum moss (kept moist) these young plants will show at all angles around 
the basket, making a lovely and unusual plant. $1.00 and $1.50. 
B. macrocalyx. Bright green leaves lightly barred with grey on back. 
Erect flower spike with French-blue flowers and pink bracts. $2.00. 
B. nutans. The most common in southern gardens. Slender green foliage, 
dink bracts and green flowers edged purple. The inflorescence is long and 
“trooping, and most beautiful. Naturalized on the trunk of a palm tree, they 
‘re a most charming sight when in bloom in early spring. 50c. 
B. rubro-cyanea. The foliage has very rich variable markings of green, 
red and white. Flowers green, edged dark blue with crimson bracts. Always 
interesting and lovely. $1.00 to $1.50. 
B. speciosa. Light green leaves with greyish bloom on back. Gorgeous 
inflorescence of green flowers with pink bracts. $1.75. 
B. thrysiflora. Abundant and gracefully recurved bright green leaves. 
Startling inflorescence of scarlet bracts and purplish flowers. $2.00. 
B. zebrina. The Pineapple Lily of Hawaii. Beautifully barred and spotted 
leaves. When about 2 ft. tall it sends out an enormous pendant flower spike 
of cerise pink bracts and chartreuse green flowers. $1.50 to $2.50. 
Miscellaneous 
New Violet, Royal Robe. The newest, and the last word in violets. Large 
lustrous flowers of deepest violet-blue on long stems. Intensely fragrant wide 
open flowers. One cannot overstate the transcendant beauty or the value of 
this variety for cutting. You can grow these outside like any other violets or in 
pots in the house. They will be best suited in a temperature of about 50° F. 
They do not like heat, and do not bloom if much warmer. They grow well in 
any good garden soil, like plenty of moisture but should not be overwatered. 
Price 60c ea. or 3 for $1.50. 
Tecolote Bill’s Fancy Corn. This corn grows and looks like any corn but 
when you husk it you find it most gaudily colored. There are white ears, 
black, blue or red ones (sometimes) but most of them will consist of several 
colors including the above as well as pink and many grains are striped or multi- 
colored. We cannot promise exact colors as like Tecolote Bill you never know 
what he is going to do. But they will be interesting and attractive decora- 
tions for around Thanksgiving to Christmas unless Thanksgiving should come 
in September. Price per ear, well packed, 50c, postpaid. Per dozen in a variety 
of colors f.o.b. La Verne, $3.00. Seed 25c for a liberal packet. 
