- origin
- growth
- leaves
- blossom
- Which location is suitable?
- What soil does the plant need?
- Water bromeliad
- Fertilize bromeliads properly
- Properly cut bromeliads
- dried up
- Propagating bromeliads
- divide
- Is bromeliad poisonous?
- meal
- sorts
Bromeliads are among the most popular indoor plants of all - because they offer an attractive leaf structure and often very colorful, spectacular flower formations that set an exotic accent in the room.
Not all bromeliads are red
Table of Contents
Show all- origin
- growth
- leaves
- blossom
- Which location is suitable?
- What soil does the plant need?
- Water bromeliad
- Fertilize bromeliads properly
- Properly cut bromeliads
- dried up
- Propagating bromeliads
- divide
- Is bromeliad poisonous?
- meal
- sorts
- Origin of bromeliads in South and Central America
- some species can be cultivated well in our room
- first species of bromeliad - pineapple - reached Europe through Kolumnus
- Bromeliads are mostly evergreen perennials
- have compressed stems with a rosette of leaves
- most species belong to the epiphytes, the rootless epiphytic plants
- bright but not full sun
- the highest possible humidity
- warm all year round, around 20°C and warmer
- for epiphytic species: culture in bark-sphagnum substrate or on stones possible
- for terrestrial species: lime-free soil substrate made of orchid soil and potting soil
- keep terrestrial bromeliads consistently moist
- Keep the central funnel (5.00 €) in the rosette of leaves always filled with water
- Use low-lime, room-warm water
- Spray epiphytic bromeliads only
origin
Bromeliads not only look exotic, they are exotic too: their home range is the so-called Neotropics, which mainly extends over South and Central America, but also over the West Indies. The climate of their original habitats is therefore very different from that in our latitudes - namely, above all, tropically warm, humid and not subject to any of the four seasons. Nevertheless, some of the very numerous types of bromeliads can be cultivated very well as ornamental plants in the room - at normal living temperatures in heated rooms they can thrive without any problems.
The bromeliads are named after the Swedish doctor Olaf Bromel. Incidentally, the first bromeliad came to Europe with the famous discoverer Christopher Columbus - in the form of a pineapple, which is probably the most well-known type of bromeliad because of its fruit. Because of her, the plant family is also known as the pineapple family.
To remember:
growth
Most bromeliad species are evergreen perennials. Typical of their appearance is the strong rosette structure with broad, pointed, upright leaves. In some species, rainwater collects in the funnel-like center of the leaf rosette. Many species are xerophytic, so they can reduce their evaporation through various mechanisms.
Another characteristic of the Bromeliceae is their epiphytic growth - they belong to the so-called epiphytic plants, like orchids. In nature, they grow without roots, mainly on trees or on rocks. In indoor culture, they are only kept in pots for stabilization purposes.
The most important things at a glance:
leaves
The leaves are not only a characteristic feature of bromeliads - they are also essential nutrient channels for many species. After all, as epiphytes, they cannot cover their nutrient requirements via roots. Instead, they get nutrients and moisture directly from the air via absorbent scales and scale hairs on the upper side of the leaves. A slight hairiness serves to reduce evaporation and protect against sunburn.
blossom
Many people keep a bromeliad in their room or office because of the sometimes quite spectacular and colorful flowers. But what is usually so impressive is not the actual flower - it is rather small and inconspicuous in most ornamental species. However, it is surrounded by large bracts, which often appear in gorgeous colors and also last much longer than the actual flowers.
For most types of bromeliads, the formation of flowers is very exhausting and therefore only a one-time thing that entails the death of the rosette of leaves or even the end of life in the case of the giant bromeliad.
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Which location is suitable?
The small selection from the huge spectrum of species of Bromeliceae, which we keep as indoor plants, originally come from the tropical rain forests of South America. The species that come from airier, cooler mountain regions are usually of little relevance to our concerns.
So it goes without saying that you should provide an ornamental bromeliad - the Guzmania are particularly popular and widespread - in a location with the most tropical conditions possible. It should therefore be bright, consistently warm and as humid as possible. It's best to place them near a window that lets in plenty of light but not full sun all the time.
The ambient temperature preferred by bromeliads corresponds practically to a room temperature of around 20°C, which many people find pleasantly warm. Of course, it can also get warmer, but the thermometer should not drop below 18°C.
The most important site conditions for ornamental bromeliads:
In summer you can also put most ornamental bromeliads outside. Again, make sure that it doesn't get intense direct sun. In addition, putting them outside is usually only possible in phases - because on nights with temperatures below 15°C the bromeliad freezes too much, so you have to bring it back inside.
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What soil does the plant need?
As I said - as rootless epiphytes, most bromeliad species do not actually need a pot with soil substrate. In any case, you can't feed them with it. The actually rootless varieties can therefore also be planted in a loose substrate made of bark and peat moss like an orchid. The bromeliad only has to hold on to this - until it has managed to do this, you can give it a little wire to help it at the beginning. The epiphytic bromeliads can even be cultivated on stones.
In a pot with soil, however, you can handle the bromeliad a little better and integrate it structurally and visually more homogeneously into your indoor plant kingdom. In contrast to the epiphytic bromeliads, terrestrial growing, i.e. also root-forming varieties, which also exist among the ornamental species, require an earth substrate. It should be lime-free and permeable. You can also use special orchid soil, optionally mixed with normal potting soil.
The substrate design at a glance:
Water bromeliad
When it comes to watering, a distinction must also be made between the rootless and the terrestrial bromeliad species. The terrestrial ones are, of course, watered quite normally with a watering can and supplied with moisture via the soil substrate. You should always keep the substrate moist - do not forget that the bromeliad is a rainforest plant. It is also important to always keep the rosette funnel filled with water, especially in summer. For watering, it is best to use water that is as lime-free as possible and at room temperature.
In winter, however, the bromeliad should only be watered a little, parallel to the lower light supply. Then fill the leaf funnel only very sparingly.
Epiphytic bromeliads, which you only put in a dry base to hold on to, do not use a watering can, but use a disperser to give their water directly to the leaves, which absorb it with their suction scales. The water quality criteria mentioned above also apply here.
By the way, you shouldn't refrain from spraying the terrestrial bromeliads either - of course they also like the occasional gentle tropical rain!
To remember:
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Fertilize bromeliads properly
Bromeliads do not need much fertilization. During the main summer vegetation phase, you can add a little liquid fertilizer to the irrigation water once a week.
Properly cut bromeliads
The topic of cutting is also rather enigmatic with the indoor bromeliads. Their compact, even rosette growth makes formal pruning superfluous.
There remains the question of the possibly rejuvenating, refreshing removal of dead plant parts. Of course, the leaves of the bromeliad also die once in a while. If they wither and dry up, you should pluck them out carefully or let them fall off by themselves. The fiber structure of the bromeliad leaves does not tolerate cutting very well.
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dried up
Of course, you should avoid dried leaves of your indoor bromeliad by diligently keeping them moist. It is normal for the beautiful bracts to dry up at some point after the flower has faded and does not need to be "treated". Just keep watering as you normally would - this encourages the sprouting that the bromeliad is ready for after flowering.
Propagating bromeliads
This brings us straight to the topic of propagation. Bromeliads mostly reproduce themselves via Kindel. These grow as side shoots - so you only need to cut them off once they have matured with leaf rosette and root. Then the side shoot is usually about half the size of the mother plant. However, you should be very careful when cutting. It is best to use a freshly sharpened knife and disinfect it with high-proof alcohol before cutting.
The Kindel is placed in a low-lime, loose substrate and is best covered with a foil. In this way you can offer it an evenly moist, protected microclimate in which to root.
divide
Dividing in the classic sense, i.e. cutting through the root ball, is of course out of place with bromeliads. They can only be divided to separate the children from the mother plant for propagation purposes.
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Is bromeliad poisonous?
When it comes to exotic ornamental plants, it is often not known exactly whether they are not poisonous - for humans or for pets. After all, with some gorgeous-looking strains, that's definitely the case. Bromeliads are generally not poisonous, however. That's the good news. However, the leaves of some ornamental bromeliads contain substances that irritate the skin, such as calcium oxalate and the enzyme bromelin. They are not toxic, but small children and pets should not eat bromeliad leaves.
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meal
Because of their typically pineapple-like habit, one might wonder if bromeliads other than the pineapple are edible in any way. However, only the fruit of the pineapple is actually edible. There are a few different varieties, of which the average consumer in this country does not notice much - because only the Smooth Cayenne variety is marketed commercially and worldwide. Varieties from other groups, such as the Queen or Pernambuco group, are primarily grown in South America for fresh consumption.
tips
As with many ornamental plants from the tropics, you can give a bromeliad its preferred warm, humid climate simply by placing it in the bathroom. So you don't have to constantly monitor that the humidity is sufficiently high.
sorts
Guzmania
The Guzmania are probably the most popular and most widespread group of ornamental bromeliads cultivated in this country. They can be found on many windowsills, where they conjure up exotic splashes of color with their bright red, orange, pink or yellow bracts. The flowering time is in winter, around the time between December and February - however, the joy of flowering is not only unique, but unfortunately also short-lived. Overall, a Guzmania can reach a height of 30 to 60 cm. There are up to 200 species within the Guzmania genus.
air cloves
With around 550 species, the air carnations, botanically Tillandsia, form the most diverse genus of the Bromeliceae. They are of the epiphytic type, so can be cultivated in bark-sphagnum substrate or on rocks and only need to be sprayed with water. There are isolated but also terrestrial species.
Their inflorescences offer a very original and eye-catching sight with their bizarre structures and shapes, mostly in reddish to pink tones. The many subspecies can reach very different sizes. Some only grow to a height of 30 cm, others form leaves up to 50 cm long on their own.
Tillandsias are also specifically suitable for temporary outdoor use.
Flaming Sword
This genus of bromeliads, botanically called Vriesea, gets its pathetic name from its sword-shaped, curved, glossy inflorescences with bright orange to scarlet bracts, which appear singly or in groups. The flowering time can be at different times of the year depending on the environmental conditions. Depending on the variety, the leaves of the Vriesea can be up to 75 cm long, for example in the Vriesea hieroglychipca. The flower stem is usually not much smaller.
The leaves of the Flaming Sword can also be very decorative with delicate band structures in creamy to reddish tones.
nest rosette
The nest rosettes, botanically Nidularium, are characterized by a nest-like arrangement of the leaf rosette. Their leathery, soft leaves are spiky and have a natural sheen. The inflorescences delight with the colorful bracts in reddish, yellow or orange tones that appear long before the flowering period. The flower itself produces the nest rosette between June and September. Depending on the species, it can grow up to 30 cm tall.
lance rosette
The name of the lance rosette, botanically Aechmea, is also significant - it describes the high, up to 30 cm long inflorescences, which are decorated with brightly colored bracts for months. The small flowers are blue in color and only last for a very short time. Depending on the subspecies, lance rosettes reach a height of between 35 and 50 cm. The strong leaves are also up to 50 cm long and up to 10 cm wide. At the edge and at the leaf tip they are reinforced with spines. Like tillandsias, Aechmeen can be left outside for a while in warm summer periods without any problems.
ornamental pineapple
Not all pineapple species are grown with the sweet, aromatic fruit in mind - there are also some ornamental species that look very pretty on the windowsill. Some species are adorned with attractive color accents on the otherwise grey-green leaves and thus offer a great exotic sight. Although the fruits of these varieties are not edible, they are decorative in their own way with their dark pink color. However, you need some space for an ornamental pineapple: it can reach a height of about one meter and a width of up to two meters.