Extension Communications
3614 Administrative Services Building
Ames, Iowa 50011-3614
(515) 294-9915
2/20/03
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
Linda Naeve, Reiman Gardens, (515) 294-2710, lnaeve@iastate.edu
Jean McGuire, Continuing Education and Communication Services, (515) 294-7033,
jmcguire@iastate.edu
Bromeliads Have Unique Water Needs
By Linda Naeve
Extension Coordinator, Reiman Gardens
Houseplants add personality to a room. A parlor palm or a Boston fern in a sunroom with wicker furniture creates a tropical, yet Victorian look. A large-leafed rubber plant, or ficus, gives a strong, stable look to a room. Weeping figs are common tree-like plants that bring a bit of the outdoors into the home and office. This week's Reiman's Pick, bromeliads, are the perfect choice for a contemporary, tropical look.
Bromeliads are a large group of plants that belong to the Bromeliadaceae family. There are over 2,700 species in this diverse family. The family tree includes the pineapple and the gray, wiry Spanish moss that's often seen hanging from trees in the South.
Bromeliads are a colorful group of ornamentals that adapt well to indoor environments. The smooth foliage on many of the species is often glossy and rigid. There are so many variations and variegations in color among bromeliad species that describing them by color is difficult. Although there are several species that are dark green with red or pink centers, the Neoregelia corolinae 'Tricolor' is a beautiful plant with cream-colored margins and a tinge of red in the center.
The leaves radiate out from the center of the plant, and the resulting symmetry contributes to its beauty. The rosette of leaves often forms a cup in the center of the plant. In its native South American habitat, epiphytic species rely on the cup for water and nutrition. These "tank" bromeliads are often found growing on tree branches yet do not extract their food from the tree. Their roots are used to attach and support them to trees or between rocky outcroppings. The cup in the center of the leaves serves as a reservoir that collects water, leaf litter, particles in the air, and any insect unfortunate enough to get stuck in it. The plant absorbs the water and nutrients from this reservoir. Terrestrial bromeliads, on the other hand, live on the ground in soil and rely on their roots for water and nutrient absorption.
Bromeliads will produce a beautiful and unusual flower in the center of the rosette. The stalk, called a scape, may be long or short with one or more flowers on the end. The flower scape remains attractive for months.
A bromeliad plant only flowers once in its lifetime and will stop producing leaves after it flowers. Rather than dying right after flowering, the plant will produce new plantlets - called "offsets" or "pups" - near the base of the plant or atop the flower spike of the mother plant. The mother plant will live until the pups are large enough to survive on their own and then it slowly dies. The green leafy top of a pineapple is a "pup" that can be removed to start a new plant.
Bromeliads can be displayed as single plants in small indoor areas or
in groupings of three or more of the same species for a dynamic effect
in a large area. They need bright light conditions and the soil should
be loose and well-drained. Bromeliads should be watered sparingly, and
only replenish a tank-type bromeliad by filling the cup in the center
with water. Every couple of weeks, pour fresh water over the plant, tipping
it over and filling it again to prevent the water from stagnating in the
cup. Fertilize bromeliads sparingly with a soluble fertilizer applied
to the soil during the summer months.
Beautiful bromeliads can be seen growing out of the wall of the water
feature and throughout the permanent tropical plant display in the new
Conservatory at Reiman Gardens. Also in the Conservatory are small, brown
earth star bromeliads, which contrast well with the creamy white limestone
along the walkway.
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Editors: A color photo, suitable for publication, is available at right. Click on the thumbnail photo to go to the fullsized photo. The picture's fullsize photo is 360K. Caption: Bromeliad. |
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