A family of tropical American plants with rosettes that often hold rainwater in a central tank, including pineapples, air plants, and many flamboyant ornamentals.
Description
Most bromeliads form a tight rosette of strap-shaped leaves whose bases overlap to form a central cup. From this rises a brightly colored bract topped with small but vivid flowers.
Cultivation
Indoor bromeliads need bright filtered light, light watering of the soil, and a small amount of fresh water in the central cup. Each rosette blooms once and then produces pups before dying.
Uses
Beyond their popularity as houseplants, bromeliads include economically important crops such as the pineapple and ornamental species like guzmania, vriesea, and aechmea.