Bromeliad, Interesting and Beautiful

Saturday, January 17, 2009 03:45 AM

The Urn plant is a Bromeliad.

A beautiful and interesting looking houseplant for the home is the Bromeliad.

Many have beautiful, colorful foliage while others have beautiful, colorful bracts and flowers while others have both the colorful foliage, and bracts and flowers. All have leaves that grow in a spiral formation which looks like a rosette with the center molded into a cup. It is from this cup that some varieties have flowers and colorful bracts that emerge; it is also where you water the plant, filling the cup shape with water.

Bromeliads originate from the tropics and are epiphytes which mean that they are air plants and grow on rocks and trees and get their nutrients and moisture from particles in the air and through the rain. They can also be planted in a pot in a well drained potting soil which is how they are most often sold and grown in the home. One type of bromeliad that is sold as an air plant is the grey tillandsias and these can be attached to wood, bark etc.

Bromeliads are easy to care for, easy to grow and are not bothered by many pests are disease. Depending on the variety, most prefer a brightly lit area. Watering them is different than watering other plants because you want to keep water in the central cup of the plant if it has one. Every few weeks the cup should be flushed out with fresh water so that the water remains fresh. The soil should be watered well and then allowed to go dry between waters. If the soil is kept too moist it could cause the plant to rot and have a problem with fungus.

Bromeliads which bloom are most often sold when in bloom because they can be difficult to get into bloom. The blooms are very long lasting and can bloom for months. Most bromeliads will only bloom once and then after the flower is done the plant will produce little pups along the base of the plant. After a few months these little pups are removed along with some roots and are transplanted shallowly into a well drained compost, keeping the new plants warm. For them to bloom they need lots of warmth, sun and some skill as they are not easy to get into bloom. Sometimes placing the plant into a plastic bag with a ripe apple for a few days will help because the ethylene gas from the apple could start the plant to produce flower buds.

A well known bromeliad is the Urn Plant which has thick silver leaves and produces a stem from the center of the cup which has large pink bracts and blue flowers that last for months. There are other varieties available and they are certainly well worth growing in the home because of their beauty and long lasting blooms.

-Jos

Jos Van Hage owns two Art Knapp Garden Centres in Prince George,