There was a good turnout for the Landscape Committee’s sponsored presentation on Bromeliads. Matthew Bagley from Bonita Bromeliads Nursery led the presentation offering insights for selecting bromeliads for your garden.
All bromeliads are New World plants, except for one found in Africa. They evolved from swamp plants in the age of dinosaurs. There are two major divisions: terrestrial and epiphytes (air plants). Spanish moss (an epiphyte) is the smallest bromeliad. There are 16 native species, all are epiphytes and all are protected.
Below are some general guidelines that hopefully will help with your selection and maintenance of these native plants.
• Light conditions: Although a few can tolerate afternoon sun, most bromeliads do well in shade, dappled sun, morning sun. You can condition some “shade” bromeliads by gradual exposure to sun.
• Growing medium: They can be in the ground or potted. If potted, many gardeners use a mixture of mulch/peatmoss /perlite. Matt generally uses mulch, either 100% cypress or pine bark mulch. NO Styrofoam.
• Fertilizer: Generally, it’s not necessary, but you can use a slow release 7-2-14 if you wish. Be careful not to have too much phosphorous or nitrogen. Sprinkle around the soil, not in the cup.
Two of Matt’s favorite bromeliads are the Copper Penny and Carcharodon Rainbow.
