"Uncle Derek Says"

Neoregelia 'German Hybrid'

"A plant called Neoregelia 'German Hybrid' has been in Australia since the 1970's and because of the reticence of Australians to change labels it would seem it was imported with this name. Secondly, in the 1960's Olwen Ferris had a great period of correspondence with Dr. Richard Oeser in Germany where she obtained much seed which she duly sowed. Many of these, duly named, appear in the Bromeliad Cultivar Registry. Not one got the name 'German Hybrid'. There is therefore, a great possibility that the 'German Hybrid' mentioned in the 1978 catalogue of Talnadge Fern Gardens of Chula Vista is the one that got to Australia. The Bromeliad Cultivar Registry shows this cultivar linked to Neoregelia 'First Prize' but surely the name 'German Hybrid' suggests this is of German origin especially at a time when Dr Richard Oeser was sending seed to the USA as well as Australia. So we are showing you Neoregelia 'German Hybrid' as known to the Aussies which will remain under this name unless we get some other proof that this plant is in fact linked to Neoregelia 'First Prize'."

Neoregelia 'German Hybrid' Photo by Derek Butcher