Bromeliads

Temperature:
60-70 F

Bromeliads are a strange but fascinating group, mostly air plants (epiphytes) that adapt readily to pot culture in a mix of equal parts garden loam, peatmoss, leafmold, and sand; or in coarse sphagnum moss alone. They seem to be immune to pests, easy to grow, indestructible, available in many sizes from miniature to very large; the foliage is highly colored, the flowers exotic in color and structure, and some species have berries that last three to four months.

Provide shade and high humidity, and water by filling the "vase" in the center of the rosette of leaves. Let a little water spill over to the medium, but always keep the vases filled.

Most bromeliads flower once, then eventually die; but you can perpetuate them by removing the offsets from the base of parent plant (offsets usually appear after plant has flowered) and rooting them in moist vermiculite at 75 to 85 F, high humidity, and shade.

Recommended:

Species and hybrids of Aechmea, Ananas, Billbergia, Cryptanthus, Dyckia, Greigia, Gusmania, Neoregelia, Tillandsia, and Vriesia.