Description
Neoregelia ‘Donger’ is a beautiful, easy-to-grow clustering bromeliad featuring a fun rosette of small, bright pink to reddish-pink leaves framed by a clean white margin. Even though we consider it a mini or compact bromeliad, it is still a relatively slow grower compared to most of the smaller bromeliads we carry. Once established it spreads easily via horizontal runners, making it an exceptional choice for ground cover, hanging baskets, vivariums, terrariums, or mounting on driftwood and trees. For the absolute best look and most intense coloration, grow this versatile accent plant in very bright filtered light—though it can also be gradually acclimated to handle a few hours of full sun.
**Plant will ship bare-root and will include at least 3 offsets**
How to Keep Your Neoregelia ‘Donger’ Happy
Caring for these tough tropical beauties is incredibly easy! Just follow these simple steps to keep them thriving and beautifully colored:
Step 1: Balance their sun exposure. To lock in its best look and brightest pink-to-reddish tones, Neoregelia ‘Donger’ prefers very bright filtered light. However, it is quite versatile and can be gradually acclimated to handle a few hours of full sun. Avoid sudden moves into harsh, unfiltered midday sunlight to protect its variegated edges from scorching. If transitioning your plant from a shaded environment to a brighter spot, introduce it to the light incrementally over a couple of weeks to safely build up its
Step 2: Water the central cup.
Whether your plant is grown in soil or mounted, pour clean water directly into the center “tank” or cup of the plant. Because sun exposure evaporates water a bit faster, check the cup regularly to ensure it stays filled, and flush it out every couple of weeks with fresh water to keep it clean.
Step 3: Choose your growing method (Soil or Mounted).
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- If planting in pots: Make sure your pots have excellent drainage so the roots never sit in soggy mud. Occasionally give the soil some water just to keep it from drying out completely.
- If planting in the ground: Be sure to choose an area with great drainage where the soil won’t stay wet.
- If mounting (on a tree or driftwood): If you are not planting this in soil and choose to grow it mounted instead, you will want to water the whole plant—roots and all—frequently. We recommend watering daily the first couple of months. We have found this helps the roots attach faster. Once they start to attach you should be able to back off the watering to every 2 or 3 days. If growing in a terrarium or vivarium that requires one or more mists a day, that should be just fine. Because it lacks soil to retain ambient moisture, keeping the roots hydrated and maintaining water in the central cup is critical.
Step 4: Keep it warm.
This tropical plant loves warmth. If you are growing it outdoors, to be safe just remember to bring it inside if the temperature drops below 50°F (10°C) or protect it from the cold or frost as much as possible.
Step 5: Fertilize sparingly (or not at all).
- For soil-grown plants: We recommend using a well-balanced, slow-release fertilizer just once or twice a year. Be careful, though—too much fertilizer or nitrogen will cause the plant to lose its vibrant color and become leggy and stretched-out looking. In fact, some growers prefer not to fertilize at all to get the very best color from the plant!
- For mounted plants: If you choose to grow your plant mounted on a tree or driftwood, we do not recommend fertilizing at all.
