Aechmea Foster's Favorite Favorite
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Aechmea Foster's Favorite Favorite
Sport of 'Foster's Favorite' (racinae x victoriana v. discolor).
Ian Hook 05/04
Ken Woods 10/04


A New Hybrid Aechmea by Mulford B Foster in Brom Soc Bull 5(2): 29. 1955
Aechmea X "Foster's Favorite" M. B. Foster hybr. nov. (Aechmea Racinae X A. victoriana var. discolor) Type No. 2849 (U. S. Nat'l Herbarium)

This new hybrid was made in February, 1946 and is a great improvement on either of the parent plants. The rich bronze-red color of the underside of the leaves of the A. victoriana var. discolor parent has penetrated the leaves of this new hybrid and has produced a very rich and more brilliant color which is evident from both surfaces of the leaves. The inflorescence is more pendent than Ae. victoriana but not as pendent as Ae. Racinae. Many crosses using the above parents have been made and the resulting offspring has been quite uniform regardless of which parent plant was used as the male or female, and very slight variations of form and color is shown.


THE PATENTED BROMELIAD by Elmer J. Lorenz in Brom Soc Bull 5(2): 30-31. 1955
One of the most beautiful and unique bromeliads found growing in our collections originated not in the distant tropics of the Americas, but in Orlando, Florida.
Aechmea X Foster's Favorite is attractive in foliage, flower, fruit, and unique in that it is the first bromeliad ever to receive a patent. Mr. Mulford Foster originated this new Aechmea hybrid by crossing two new species of Aechmeas which he discovered in the jungles of Brazil. One parent is known botanically as Aechmea racinae and the other as Aechmea victoriana.
{At the time of the granting of the patent, the variety of A. victoriana which was used as a parent for the hybrid, was fully described as to color, but the actual varietal name, A. victoriana var. discolor had not yet been published botanically. It now has received this name as described on page 28. Ed.}
The parents used in producing Aechmea X Foster's Favorite are both beautiful plants and it is fortunate that the outstanding characteristics of each parent were combined to form the beautiful new hybrid.
Aechmea X Foster's Favorite was first offered in Mr. Foster's 1949-1950 catalogue on Bromeliads (now out of print) and described as follows: "Aechmea Hybrid 'Fosters Favorite'. My finest Aechmea hybrid; the first bromeliad to be patented; lovely, smooth, 'lacquered' wine-red leaves; green at base; drooping, berry-like flower stalk; midnight blue flowers; blooms in winter."
Before the application for the patent could be made it was necessary for considerable quantities of Aechmea X Foster's Favorite to be reproduced asexually in Mr. Foster's greenhouse. This was required to demonstrate that the outstanding characteristics of the new hybrid were persistent. Application for the patent was filed on September 17, 1948 and on November 15, 1949, under plant patent No. 898, Aechmea X Foster's Favorite became the first bromeliad ever to be patented.
In his claim for the Patent Mr. Foster says, "My present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of hybrid Aechmea plant.
My new variety is distinctly and outstandingly different from any Aechmea known or described, especially with respect to its leaf coloring and the formation of its inflorescence. It differs from both its parents in color and leaf shape as well as in its inflorescence. Aechmea racinae has light green leaves both on upper and under surface; the flowers consist of yellow and black petals with orange-red ovary and sepals. The inflorescence is pendent. Aechmea victoriana, the other parent, has bicolor leaves with fern green above and bronze red on the under side of leaf. The inflorescence is semi-pendent; the flower petals are dark purple with a white edge while the ovary and sepals are of a dark red color.
This new hybrid Aechmea more nearly resembles in form and color one of its parents, the Aechmea victoriana. However, it is much more vigorous in growth and larger in size, and the most outstandingly distinguishing character is the rich coloring of the leaves.
The new and distinct hybrid Aechmea plant as herein shown and described, is characterized as to novelty by the distinctive glossy sheen and unusual red coloring of the leaves with this color equally brilliant on both sides of the leaves; its strong resistance to scale or other insect infestations; and its ability to thrive with a minimum of watering as it retains water in its leaf cups from only occasional waterings."

The Plant Patent Act was passed on May 23, 1930, giving the grower complete control over his patented plant for 17 years. The patented plant cannot be sold or propagated asexually except by the patentee or those licensed by him.
The plant to be patented must be new and available to the public for not more than one year preceding the application for the patent. Plants which may be classified as a new "invention" and patented are limited to hybrids, sports, and mutations. Species or variations found growing spontaneously in their native habitat cannot be patented. Plants propagated from tubers are excluded from the patent privileges as are seeds or plants grown only from seeds.
Fortunately the culture of Aechmea X Foster's Favorite offers no difficulties. Any good porous mixture seems to make a satisfactory medium in which to grow this hybrid. The mixture I use consists of leaf mould and sponge rock in equal proportions. To this I add a small amount of well-rotted steer manure, charcoal, and some roughly pulverized tree fern fiber. The fiber I obtain from discarded containers milled from the giant Hawaiian tree ferns. The fernwood fiber keeps the soil porous and insures good drainage, yet retains ample moisture to allow healthy plant growth.
Aechmea X Foster's Favorite is a fairly prolific producer and it takes only a short while to fill a six inch container with beautiful plants.


The First Patented Bromeliad in America by Racine Foster in J Brom Soc 38(2): 55-57. 1988
This report about a bromeliad deviates from a collecting or growing standpoint. This is an invented plant as they call it in the United States Patent Office. It is presented, mainly, for those who did not read the original announcement in the Bromeliad Bulletin Vol. V, March-April, 1955, No. 2.
In 1945 Mulford Foster made a hybrid between his new species Aechmea racinae and A. victoriana var. discolor which resulted in the hybrid called A. x Foster's Favorite. It was such a beautiful plant that Mulford wanted to take out a patent on it. Later, there was a Cryptanthus or two patented, but at the time, in 1948, this was the only Aechmea to be patented, and as far as we know it was the first bromeliad to be patented. The patent was filed Sept. 17, 1948 and was granted over a year later on Nov. 15, 1949. In the Patent Office it is known as Plant Patent #898 with a serial number 49,777.
The process of obtaining a plant patent was no simple, easy affair. First, you had to locate, in Washington, D.C., the proper ornamental plant agent. For instance, you could not use an agent who handled patents on potatoes. After much correspondence to various patent lawyers, we settled on one; Mr. Orville M. Kile. That meant the initial trip to Washington and an agreement to pay him something like $750.00 for his work. (The total cost of this patent was over $1,000.00). Back home we had to write up the claim in the prescribed form: in two columns, in a certain style; in reviewing the invention Mulford had to close with his claim that this plant was a novelty, or new.
It took us a long time to arrive at the form of language demanded. Also, a true-to-life painting had to accompany the application. Thank goodness we didn't have to hire an artist to do this as Mulford was quite capable of making his own painting.
What follows are quotations from the patent description:
"My present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of hybrid Aechmea plant. It was originated by me through the process of cross pollination of two new species of Aechmeas discovered by me in the jungles of Brazil. One of these parent plants is now known botanically as Aechmea racinae and the other as Aechmea victoriana (var. discolor) both named and published subsequent to my discovery of them.
I have reproduced asexually in my greenhouse in Orlando, Florida, considerable quantities of this new hybrid and its characteristics are definitely fixed.
My new variety is distinctly and outstandingly different from any Aechmea known or described, especially with respect to its leaf coloring and the formation of its inflorescence. It differs from both its parents in color and leaf shape as well as in its inflorescence.
The accompanying illustration {fig. 3} shows the form and coloring of the leaves of my new variety in natural tints although it gives only a faint idea of the glossy, almost varnished appearance that the leaves of this plant produce.
When young, the plant is often nearly all green but changes to its richness in color as it matures, often retaining one or more basal leaves of green.
This new hybrid Aechmea more nearly resembles in form and color one of its parents, the Aechmea victoriana. However, it is much more vigorous in growth and larger in size, and the most outstandingly distinguishing character is the rich coloring of the leaves. These leaf colorings according to the (British) Horticultural Colour Chart are shown as follows:
Small basal leaves are Fern Green No. 0862. The few succeeding leaves: Currant Red No. 821 with shots of Fern Green near tips of leaves. Balance of leaves: Currant Red No. 821 with shots of Spanish Orange No. 010 and Burnt Orange No. 014.
These basic colors vary in tones and hues according to the light exposure in which the plants have been grown.
When this new hybrid is about two years old and after it has developed a flower spike, one or more new offshoots will be produced at the base of the plant as shown in the accompanying illustration. This is the only means of asexual propagation of this plant; being a hybrid it does not reproduce itself from its own seed.
Having thus disclosed my invention, I claim:
The new and distinct hybrid Aechmea plant as herein shown and described, characterized as to novelty by the distinctive glossy sheen and unusual red coloring of the leaves with this color equally brilliant on both sides of the leaves; its strong resistance to scale or other insect infestations; and its ability to thrive with a minimum of watering as it retains in its leaf cups from only occasional waterings."
Mulford B. Foster
Orlando, Florida


Aechmea 'Foster's Favorite' Complex in 2000 by Butcher
This all started in 1945 when Mulford Foster crossed Aechmea racinae with Aechmea victoriana var. discolor to produce Aechmea 'Foster's Favorite' which was patented in 1949 (see BSIJ 1988 #2 page 55 by Racine Foster). The interesting thing is that much trouble was spent in describing the plant but not the inflorescence and we do not know what it is supposed to look like! It is accepted that the inflorescence is pendant and is like Aechmea racinae but with a darker red ovary with dark purplish petals edged in white that we generally associate with Aechmea victoriana var. discolor. To add to the confusion Padilla says (Bromeliads 1973 page 123) petals are coral tipped blue, and Bromeliad Treasury (1983) as yellow! Baensch in Blooming Bromeliads (1994) page 79 shows dark purplish edged white.
Since that time I am sure that others have repeated the cross using different clones or have grown self-set seed from Aechmea 'Foster's Favorite' while still calling them Aechmea 'Foster's Favorite' or giving them a new name. 'Black Jack' and 'Perez' are just two examples.
Variegation appeared in one plant in 1951 and was named Aechmea 'Foster's Favorite Favorite' by Foster in 1953. Shortly afterwards this plant sported again only this time in the collection of Hazel Mueller but with red stripes this time and was called 'Red Ribbon'.
Aechmea 'Foster's Favorite', 'Foster's Favorite Favorite', and 'Red Ribbon' got exported to Australia and no doubt Australians also grew on seed from these hybrids to add to the confusion. However, this traffic was not all one-way!
In 1996 Tropiflora offered the "famed" Australian clone for sale (see Oct 1996 edition of Cargo Report) and this has an interesting story that I will relate to you. Information is from the Australian Journal "Bromeletter" 1972 #5.
In the early 1960's Aechmea 'Foster's Favorite Favorite' was imported to Sydney and offsets were in demand even though the plant did not particularly like Sydney's winter weather.
A little while later it was rumoured that a more hardy form had come into being somewhere "Up North".
Olwen Ferris, these days known as the Grande Dame of Aussie Bromeliads, and a Trustee of the BSI, was then the Editor of Bromeletter and was apt to travel the "Country" looking for the odd Bromeliad. In 1970 on her way back from Queensland she found a vigorous Aechmea 'Foster's Favorite Favorite'. On discussing the plant with the nurseryman she found out that it was the alleged Australian Sport obtained from a person now deceased! The trail was cold! But, was it? Olwen does not give up easily. She checked old membership lists and decided that "Up North" meant FNQ (Far North Queensland) and wrote to a lady who lived near Townsville. Yes, she did have the plant having bought it in Townsville. (Only some 1400 miles north of Sydney) BUT she understood the original plant came from Port Macquarie (Only 400 miles north of Sydney). Olwen knew of a lady who did have a small nursery in Port Macquarie and Yes, the plant had originated there! The search had ended!
While everyone in the Bromeliad World knows of Mulford Foster, few Australians remember Mrs Jean Cannon who started off the "famed" Australian clone. Apparently she had got seed of Aechmea racinae x Aechmea victoriana var. discolor from Germany {I can't always blame Americans!} and grew on the plants. ONE became variegated!
Jean Cannon sold 3 offsets, all going "Up North" to Queensland but then her interest in Bromeliads faded as the nursery found Orchids more profitable. The original plant died through neglect. This is just one example that sharing plants around is their best chance of survival.
So if you did buy a plant from Tropiflora please think about Jean Cannon who started it all off.


Updated 13/04/22