Bromeliads
by Dr. Robert Black, Consumer Horticultural Specialist

People who have traveled across south Florida in late March have become enchanted with the Cypress that appear to have bright red flowers or perhaps hundreds of redbirds hovering over their nests. This splash of color does not belong to the Cypress but to a native bromeliad Tillandsia fasciculata, or Cardinal Air Plant. Other well-known native bromeliads, although not as colorful, are Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides) and ball moss (Tillandsia recurvata).

Most bromeliads are air plants or epiphytes that grow on trees in nature. They are not parasitic or harmful to the tree upon which they are growing. One possible exception to this is Spanish moss that may shade the branch of a tree until it dies, however, it rarely kills a healthy tree. Bromeliads attach themselves to the tree with specialized roots. Decaying bark and leaves caught in the crevasses of branches provide the nutrients for plant growth.

Bromeliads are adapted to many indoor locations, most prefer bright, diffuse light but not direct sun. They grow best in open porous soil such as chopped osmunda or peat and bark. In South Florida, where there is no danger of frost, they may be attached to a tree.

One of the more unique features of most bromeliads is their vase-like shape where cups or wells are formed by the leaves. This vase effect makes these plants not only attractive but also easy to water. If you pour water into the well formed by the rosette of overlapping leaf bases and check to keep it full, the plant will survive. Some plants also require you to water the soil, but it should not remain soggy. Water high in lime, as it is in many areas of Florida, should be avoided with this plant and rainwater or distilled water used.

Another interesting characteristic of many of these plants is that they can be induced to flower. Ethylene, a gas naturally produced by plants, causes the plants to flower if they are large enough. If you have a large bromeliad that has not flowered, place it inside a large plastic bag with two or three apples. The apples will give off ethylene as they ripen. Place the plant away from direct sunlight so heat does not build up in the plastic bag. After a couple of weeks remove the bag and wait for the flower to develop.

The nearly two thousand species of bromeliads provide plant lovers with an unbelievable selection of form, color, size and blooming characteristics. The leathery leaves may be plain, variegated or with a saw-toothed edge. Size ranges from very small grass-like plants to enormous forms that have leaves several feet tall. Leaf color ranges from deep green and purple, to gray and pink. The flowers are often small but colorful, however the bracts, which remain on the plant over a long period, are large and showy. There is a bromeliad to match almost anyone's preference.