Types of Bromeliad Plants

There are actually many different types of bromeliads. The three most popular ones are the Guzmania, Tillandsia and the Aechmea plants. Each is different in their own way. The Guzmania plant is from the epiphytes family of the bromeliads. Which means that these types of bromeliads are light attaching plants, they will grow wherever the sunlight is. The Guzmania plants can be grown both indoor as well as outdoors. The most popular form of the Guzmania is the Guzmanis Lingulata or Scarlet Star, these plants create the most beautiful colors of orange and red.

Guzmania

Once the Guzmania produces the flowers in the summer months they die. However, new plants can be created from the offsets or pups that will appear when the parent plant dies. Because the Guzmania plants are attracted to light the will fare much better if you can attach bark with the roots planted into a sphagnum style moss. Like other bromeliads these types of plants have to be planted in warm temperatures and a place where the humidity is at high levels.

Tillandsia

The Tillandsia is also a member of the Bromeliad family of plants. These styles of plants are found in dry climates like the deserts, woods and the mountains in countries like Central, South America and Mexico. They can also be found in the southern states like Florida and Texas in the United States. There are 2 different types of Tillandsia; there are thin leaves and thick leave. The thinner plants tend to thrive in climates with a lot of rain. The thicker plants tend to do better in drier areas.

They get their nutrients from the air through dust or decaying leaves and insect feces. Like the Guzmania the Tillandsia plants are also epiphytes. They can actually live without being planted in soil, because they have the ability to adhere themselves to other plants. They can reproduce without being rooted, they do it by seeds or pups. Though these plants have roots they are mainly used as anchors. Other sub types of the Tillandsia plants are air plants, ball moss and Spanish moss.

These plants will bloom on a regular basis and they have some of the most beautiful colors. They start out as green but then they change to red when they are close to flowering. The temperature for the Tillandsia is not critical and can be anywhere from 32 degrees Celsius to 10 degree Celsius. They are however, sensitive to frost. The only other species of the bromeliads to survive in frost is the T. Usneoides.

Aechmea

The Aechmea is a type of Bromeliad that is also epiphytes just as the Tillandsia and the Guzmania plants. There are over 140 different varieties of the Aechmea, which are dispersed from Mexico throughout South America. The majority of these species are called epiphytes. Some of the other species of the Aechmea are the Aciculosa, Beeriana, Bracteata, Candida, Colestis and the Dealbata.

If you choose to raise these plants at your home then we can offer you some nursery care tips to help you in your efforts. For starters, lets begin with the light. May people believe plants should be placed in direct sunlight. While that may be true in some plants it is not true in the case of the bromeliads. The plants that have broader leaves tend to burn easily so direct sunlight even by lamp exposure is not recommended. If you can find a light in your home or in your yard or greenhouse the light from the southern exposure is the best lighting to have.

How you water your plant is very important. Never over water a bromeliad because they will rot. Slowly water the plants and make sure they have proper drainage if you have these plants in a pot. This is very important to know and understand. To extent the life of the plant, never over water and make sure the drainage of the pot you place them in are working. Always use a plastic watering can, the watering cans that have copper or metal will kill the plants. Metals are toxic for bromeliads.

Different bromeliads can tolerate different temperatures but the majority of these plants’s ideal temperature should be 55 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. For very short periods of time these plants can hold in 40 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The cooler temps at night can actually create a more colorful flowers. Most types of plants are sold while they are in bloom, which usually lasts 2 to 3 months. Bromeliads do not re- bloom what happens is that the plants die and then offsets are formed and they will grow and bloom.

Fertilizing the bromeliad plant is not needed but if you want to jumpstart the growth process then you can uses a light fertilizer and use only at half strength. People ask about repotting all the time. In the case of bromeliads because they do not bloom more than once from a particular pup. For this reason is why there is no need to re-pot.

If these plants are taken care of properly, you can have very beautiful plants. Follow the nursery care instructions they will provide you when you buy these plants. If you really adhere to the instructions and you can really have some beautiful plants. Make sure when you buy the plants that all the leaves are in one piece and they are not burned or eaten away by insects. Find out when they were last watered so you don’t take them home and over water them.

These plants are almost maintenance free so you really only have to be concerned about where you place the plant, remember away from direct sunlight. Don’t over water and you will have a successful growth of bromeliads.

Growing A Bromeliad Plant

The proper way of Growing A Bromeliad Plant.