When and How to Water Bromeliads
Just about the only thing uniting the diverse and extraordinary group of plants known as bromeliads is that they all hail from the same family, the Bromeliaceae.
Their diverse array of forms allow them to occupy an equally diverse number of habitats.
It also means they each need to be watered a little differently, depending on their physical characteristics and the substrate they are growing in.
Some types are terrestrial, and grow straight out of the ground, others are epiphytic, meaning they make their homes up in the branches of trees. Still others grow on shifting sand dunes, or plain old bare rock.
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This group of plants come from tropical South America by and large, though there are a few exceptions.
Their long, strap-shaped leaves are spirally arranged in one beautiful whorl, making a sort of tuft. The bracts surrounding their flowers are typically very brightly colored in hues of pink, red, yellow, and orange.
Many bromeliads lack extensive root systems and have evolved various mechanisms for collecting water via their leaves.
Numerous species can collect water in their leaf bases, which form a sort of pool or cup. Others, such as the air plants (Tillandsia spp.), absorb moisture straight out of the air.
These unusual and inventive strategies mean some bromeliads don’t want to be watered the way most houseplants are.
Read on to find out how to appease these tropical novelties and keep them hydrated. Here’s what we’ll cover:
How Much Water Do Bromeliads Need?When trying to figure out how much water any kind of plant requires to thrive, it’s handy to know where it comes
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