The Big List of Freeze Tolerant Bromeliads

As many of you know, I'm big on finding cold hardy bromeliads. People just assume that because I live in Florida, coconut palms and tropical plantings are the norm for me, but here in Northeast Florida, we get temperatures way down to 20F in winter. Luckily there are tons of freeze tolerant bromeliads out there, with some hardy well into the teens! I've compiled a really big list of cold hardy bromeliads from existing resources online and in print, as well as some personal and anecdotal experience. Take this list to the nursery with you!

Billbergia pyramidalis

Aechmea 'Melanocrater', Neoregelia 'Red Bands' and Neoregelia spectabilis

This list wouldn't be possible without the help of Barry Landau, Chris George and others from the Planet Bromeliad Facebook Group. If you're on Facebook, be sure to join us there and on Planet Epiphyte to get in on the discussion! Anyways, here's the list as well as a few photos of cold tolerant bromeliads for your consideration. Please tell me what has worked or hasn't worked for you and I'll be sure to make a change to the document.

Bromeliads Hardy to the Low 20's Fahrenheit with Protection (Zone 9a)

Finally, a really big list of bromeliads that can take hard freezes! This is a collaborative list of bromeliads that have proven to survive hard frosts with protection, and a guideline for those growing in marginal zones. I have combined several large lists into one, and each resource is listed at the bottom of the page. I have avoided websites that simply repeat the data from another website for obvious reasons.

Legend
+ represents an individual or resource that can vouch for the bromeliad's hardiness in the low 20's.
- represents an individual that can vouch that the bromeliad is not hardy in the low 20's.

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Abromeitiella brevifolia

Aechmea apocalyptica ++++
Aechmea aquilega
Aechmea 'Blotches'+
Aechmea 'Blue Cones'
Aechmea blumenavii ++
Aechmea bromelifolia +
Aechmea 'Burgundy' ++
Aechmea calyculata ++
Aechmea 'Cappuccino'
Aechmea caudata ++++
Aechmea comata +++
Aechmea 'Covata' +
Aechmea cylindrata +++
Aechmea cylindrata - giant form +
Aechmea distichantha +++++
Aechmea distichantha forma albiflora +
Aechmea distichantha var. schlumbergeri +
Aechmea distichantha var. schlumbergeri X caudata 'Melanocrater' ++
Aechmea distichantha x planerophlebia +
Aechmea fendleri
Aechmea gamosepala ++++++
Aechmea gamosepala 'Lucky Strike'
Aechmea 'Gympie Gold'+
Aechmea 'Happy Mule'
Aechmea 'Jeanne Eunice'
Aechmea kertesziae ++
Aechmea lamarchei
Aechmea nudicalis-
Aechmea ornata
Aechmea ornata var. nationalis
Aechmea pineliana var. minuta+
Aechmea pineliana var. minuta X maculata
Aechmea recurvata +++
Aechmea recurvata 'Red Form'+
Aechmea recurvata var. benrathii+
Aechmea recurvata var. ortgiesii
Aechmea 'Red Bands'+
Aechmea 'Suenos'
Aechmea triangularis +
Aechmea winkleri +
Aechmea wittmackiana+

Billbergia 'Catherine Wilson'+
Billbergia distachia +
Billbergia distachia var. maculata
Billbergia horrida
Billbergia meyeri
Billbergia Nutans +++
Billbergia 'Party Pink'
Billbergia Pyramidalis ++
Billbergia Pyramidalis 'Kyoto'+
Billbergia Pyramidalis 'Striata' ++
Billbergia sanderiana
Billbergia 'Santa Barbara'
Billbergia saundersii
Billbergia 'Theodore L. Mead'
Billbergia vittata
Billbergia zebrina

Brocchia reducta

Bromelia balansae +
Bromelia flemingii
Bromelia pinguin
Bromelia serra
Bromelia serra variegata

Canistropis billbergioides

Cryptbergia 'Red Burst' ++

Deuterocohnia meziana +
Deuterocohnia schreiteri +

Dyckia brevifolia ++++
Dyckia 'Cherry Coke' ++
Dyckia chloristaminea
Dyckia cinerea
Dyckia encholirioides +
Dyckia ferox
Dyckia fosteriana +++
Dyckia fosteriana x brevifolia
Dyckia ibiramensis
Dyckia 'Lad Cutak'
Dyckia leptostachya
Dyckia maritima
Dyckia microcalyx
Dyckia 'Naked Lady' +
Dyckia rarifolia +
Dyckia 'Red Planet'
Dyckia remotiflora
Dyckia remotiflora var. angustior
Dyckia remotiflora var. montevidensis
Dyckia ursina
Dyckia velascana

Fascicularia bicolor +++
Fascicularia spp. canaliculata ++

Hechtia argentea +
Hechtia marnier-lapostcllei +
Hechtia mexicana
Hechtia lundelliorum
Hechtia stenopetala +
Hechtia texana ++

Neophytum 'Ralph Davis'

Neoregelia 'Beau Geoff'
Neoregelia 'Bettie Head'
Neoregelia compacta
Neoregelia concentrica +
Neoregelia 'Hannibal Lector'
Neoregelia macwilliamsii
Neoregelia 'Marcon'
Neoregelia 'Pot Luck' cv of concentrica
Neoregelia 'Red Bands'
Neoregelia spectabilis +

Nidularium fulgens +
Nidularium procerum ++
Nidularium regelioides
Nidularium 'Rusty'
Nidularium rutilans +
Nidularium terminale

Ochagavia carnea +
Ochagavia elegans
Ochagavia lindleyana

Puya alpestris ++
Puya assurgens
Puya berteroniana +
Puya chilensis +
Puya coerulea +
Puya coriacea
Puya dyckioides
Puya ferruginea
Puya floccosa
Puya gracilis
Puya laxa +
Puya macrura
Puya mirabilis +
Puya raimondii
Puya roezlii
Puya spathacea
Puya thomasiana
Puya venusta
Puya violacea
Puya wrightii

Quesmea 'Lymanii' ++

Quesnelia arvensis +
Quesnelia quesneliana
Quesnelia testudo ++++
Quesnelia testudo albo-marginata+

Tillandsia baileyi ++
Tillandsia bergeri
Tillandsia dianthifolia
Tillandsia fasciculata
Tillandsia grandis
Tillandsia ionatha ++
Tillandsia recurvata +++
Tillandsia tenuifolia +
Tillandsia usneoides +++
Tillandsia utriculata +

Vriecantarea 'Inferno'

Vriesea atra +
Vriesea barilletii +
Vriesea bituminosa x saundersii +
Vriesea 'Black Beauty'
Vriesea carinata ++
Vriesea corcovadensis +++
Vriesea ensiformis ++
Vriesea ensiformis var. bicolor
Vriesea 'Flamme'
Vriesea flammea ++
Vriesea friburgensis +
Vriesea friburgensis var. paludosa +
Vriesea frigurgensis var. tucumanensis +
Vriesea gigantea +
Vriesea incurvata +
Vriesea 'Komet'
Vriesea lubbersii +++
Vriesea 'Lucille'
Vriesea 'Mariae' +
Vriesea 'Mon Petit' corallina x flammea
Vriesea philippo-coburgii +++
Vriesea platynema +
Vriesea 'Purple Cockatoo'
Vriesea 'Purple Pendant'
Vriesea 'Rex'
Vriesea rodigasiana +
Vriesea 'Rosa Morena'
Vriesea scalaris +
Vriesea schwackiana +
Vriesea schwackiana x fosteriana 'Red Chestnut'
Vriesea 'Seminole Chief'
Vriesea simplex +
Vriesea sucrei
Vriesea vagans ++
Vriesea 'Velma Wurthmann'

Resources

Book: Bromeliads for the Contemporary Garden, by Andrew Steens

Website: http://fcbs.org/articles/cold_sensitivity_of_bromeliads.htm
Website: http://fcbs.org/articles/ColdHardyBroms.pdf
Website: http://www.oasisdesigns.co.uk/bromeliads.htm
Website: http://www.yuccado.com/all-plants/bromeliads.html

Anectdotal: Steve Asbell
Anectdotal: Chris George

Aechmea 'Blue Cones'

Dyckia 'Red Planet'

Neoregelia spectabilis

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