Do you want to add color and exotic beauty to your space? If so, then bromeliads should be on your ‘must-have’ list. This beautiful flowering plant hails from the tropical rainforest but can thrive in your home or office with proper care. They make a gorgeous addition to any collection of indoor plants.
Bromeliad Habit
Bromeliads are actually quite easy to grow indoors, but they do differ from most normal houseplants. Bromeliads are epiphytic, which means they grow on rocks, trees or other plants rather than in the soil itself. They gather their nutrients from the air and rainwater.
While the foliage of a bromeliad is striking on its own, adding spiky texture to any composed pot, their blooms are what really stop the show. They come in many vibrant colors and textures, including pink, purple, yellow, red, white, and orange. The blooms last from eight to ten weeks and are very easy to maintain. Once the bloom is spent, the foliage will remain green and lush until time to flower again.
Bromeliad Care
Bromeliad plant care is easy and requires no special tools or fertilizers. Feed the plants with a half-strength fertilizer every month in the growing season. Water needs are easily achieved by filling the cup at the base of the leaves. They don’t like a lot of water as they lived in the rainforests with dew and slight sprinkles every day. As long as there’s fresh water in the center cup, your bromeliad will be happy.
Bromeliad Design
Since bromeliads don’t grow in pots in the same way other houseplants do, you can place them at the base of trees in what we call underplanting. For more impact, set alone in a decorative container to make a dramatic statement. They are available in 4”, 6”, 8”, and some 10” grow containers. As interiorscapers, we use bromeliads in most of our jobs to add a pop of color as needed. Bromeliads are inexpensive and give that tropical feel to any installation. Sometimes we put a bromeliad in a bowl with other plants or just put a large specimen in a nice container that is three feet tall as a statement piece.
Favorite Bromeliad Varieties
There are many different types of bromeliads. These are some Plantscapers favorites.
Guzmania come in many colors and the typical six-inch plant grows to be about a foot tall. Vibrant colors of orange, pink, and red are common. 
Neoregelia comes in red and pink solid or striped. Their low, compact flower is only six inches tall, perfect for underplanting.
Vriesa is the most interesting of all the bromeliads and usually has a gorgeous colorful flower that comes out of the middle. These can grow as high as 16 inches tall. There are even varieties that have colorful striped leaves, such as the Vriesea Fosteriana. These make a great statement plant in their own container.
Bromeliads are fun, colorful, easy to maintain, and very affordable. They also work 24/7 to clean the air and take out all the toxins naturally. Add some to your home or office today! You won’t believe the difference they can make in any environment. Need help? Ask your Plantscapers consultant if bromeliads are right for your space.
