Neoregelia Eritrea
Offsets from the bromeliad subgenus Neoregelia, native to the lower regions of the tropical rainforest of South America in the humid shade of the large trees.
Neoregelia 'Eritrea' is a striking hybrid cultivar of unknown origin, notable for its bright red to purple coloration and contrasting markings. Despite its name, there is no botanical connection to the East African country of Eritrea; the name was likely chosen due to the intense, "glowing" color effect.
Characteristics:
This medium-sized Neoregelia forms a broad, funnel-shaped rosette with firm, glossy leaves. The base color ranges from vibrant red to violet, often with dark markings or fine patterns. During the flowering period, the color intensifies in the center of the rosette, while small, pale violet flowers appear. The variety grows compactly and is well-suited as a solitary plant or in groups.
Care Instructions:
Light: Bright to semi-shady; direct sunlight enhances the coloration.
Water: Regularly fill the rosette with low-calcium water; keep the substrate slightly moist but not soggy.
Humidity: Medium to high (above 50%); good air circulation promotes health.
Fertilizer: In spring and summer, apply 1–2 times a month with our special bromeliad or orchid fertilizer in diluted form directly into the rosette.
Temperature: 18–28 °C; keep above 15 °C as consistently as possible.
Note: Neoregelia 'Eritrea' is particularly color-intensive and makes an excellent decorative focal point. It is robust, reliably produces offsets, and brings a tropical flair to windowsills, balconies (in summer), or terrariums.
Our greenhouses are equipped with modern energy screens and double glazing to efficiently save on heating costs. Additionally, we collect rainwater over the entire roof area of 9,000 square meters and use only this water to irrigate all our crops. We collect the rainwater in underground tanks with a total volume of 600,000 liters.
Since 2007, we have been heating our entire operation with a fully automated 850 kW wood chip heating system and a 100,000-liter buffer storage tank. Environmentally friendly and CO2-neutral. Only to support during very cold winter days and nights is a conventional oil heating system available.
Since 2014, the heating has been supported by a solar thermal system with an annual yield of about 20 megawatt-hours.
In 2020, we installed a photovoltaic system with 30 kW peak and have been producing more green electricity per year than our entire operation requires.
Since 2021, we use exclusively pots for our self-produced plants that are not only 100% recyclable but are also entirely made from recycled pots. To this end, we collect all used pots that arise in our operation and have them picked up in big bags by our pot supplier Göttinger. There, the pots are cleaned and processed in a water-free recycling facility into new pots that come back to us.
