Vriesea Astrid
Offshoot of a breeding hybrid from the bromeliad subspecies of Vriesea, native to the lower regions of the tropical rainforest of South America in the humid shade of the large trees.
Vriesea 'Astrid' is an attractive hybrid from the genus Vriesea, valued for its vibrant colors and elegant rosette shape.
The name "Astrid" has Scandinavian roots and means "Divine Beauty" – fitting for the decorative appearance of this cultivated variety. It is ideal for indoor cultivation and brings a tropical flair to any room.
Features:
This variety forms a symmetrical, medium-sized rosette with smooth, glossy leaves in a vibrant green. Particularly striking is the bright inflorescence with sword-shaped, flat bracts in intense red, orange, or yellow. The actual flowers are small and tubular, usually yellow or whitish.
Care Instructions:
Light: Bright to semi-shady, no direct midday sun – filtered light promotes flower formation and color intensity.
Water: Regularly fill the funnel with low-calcium water; keep the substrate slightly moist but well-drained.
Humidity: Medium to high (from 50 %), occasional misting is well tolerated.
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, do not let it drop below 15 °C.
Note: Vriesea 'Astrid' is easy to care for and long-lasting. It is excellent for bright interiors and produces offsets after flowering that can be easily cultivated further. A rewarding choice for beginners and lovers of tropical ornamental plants.
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.