February 2003

Queen’s Tears – Billbergia nutans

Origin: Brazil, Argentina, Uraguay

This stem-less ephiphytic herb is a member of the bromeliad family like its cousin, Spanish moss that hangs from trees in the South. The epiphyte is a plant that doesn’t grow in soil but in trees, pulling in moisture from the air wherever it can.   

Queen’s Tears is considered an easy houseplant to grow. It blooms in the winter with gorgeous pink bracts from which clusters of flowers form. Quite colorful, the green curved petals are edged with brilliant blue and dangle on pink stems. The plant acquired its common name because nectar forms within the flowers and sometimes spills out when touched. This makes it an attractive as well as safe plant for birds and reptiles.

Some folks regard Queen’s Tears the perfect houseplant since it will thrive anywhere, from a sunny window to a dimly lit corner. And it tolerates being under watered better than many other houseplants.

Queen’s Tears has an additional trait that’s given rise to another of its common names, Friendship Plant. Easy to propagate, you can simply twist a section out of the pot and pass it along to a friend or neighbor.