Neoregelia kautskyi
Offsets from the bromeliad subspecies Neoregelia, native to the lower regions of the tropical rainforest in South America in the moist shade of the large trees.
Neoregelia kautskyi is a botanical species from the genus Neoregelia, which is endemic to the Atlantic rainforest of Brazil – particularly in the state of Espírito Santo.
It was named in honor of the Brazilian botanist Günther Kautsky, who contributed significantly to the documentation of the flora in this region. This species belongs to the medium to large Neoregelians and is valued by collectors as well as in cultivation.
Characteristics:
The plant forms a compact, funnel-shaped rosette with relatively broad, flat leaves. The coloration varies from bright green to reddish, often with fine markings or reddish leaf tips. During the flowering period, the center of the rosette turns a vibrant red. The small flowers are light blue to lavender and appear inconspicuously in the center of the plant, nestled between the inner leaves.
Care Instructions:
Light: Bright to partially shaded, without direct midday sun – promotes beautiful coloration.
Water: Keep the rosette filled with fresh water at all times; substrate should be slightly moist and well-drained.
Humidity: Medium to high (above 50%), occasional misting is advisable in dry indoor air.
Fertilizer: In spring and summer, 1–2 times per month with our special bromeliad or orchid fertilizer in diluted form directly into the rosette.
Temperature: 18–28 °C, sensitive to cold – should not be kept below 12 °C for prolonged periods.
Note: Neoregelia kautskyi is excellent for smaller plant containers, bright windowsills, or tropical arrangements. Thanks to its natural color gradients, it is an attractive eye-catcher – even outside of the flowering period.
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.
