Tropical Bromeliad

Tropical bromeliad makes a lovely, easy-care container plant. You’ll most often find these plants for sale among the house plants, but they most definitely belong outdoors.

They prefer very bright light, and many can take our intense summer sunlight, but be careful to acclimate them first, with only a few hours of full-sun exposure per day for the first few weeks. And if placed in full sun, be prepared to water your containers more often. That’s not usually too hard, since most bromeliads are shallow-rooted and very happy in small containers, which you can keep close at hand on porches or patio tables.

If your porch is protected, staying fairly warm and bright through the winter, you can potentially leave your bromeliad outdoors year-round. But on cold nights or longer cold spells, a greenhouse would be best, although they can tolerate short periods in the brightest window of your home.

Be careful not to overwater or pamper these beautiful tropical species, as they virtually thrive on neglect. Your patience with their slow growth habit will be rewarded with beautiful floral displays unlike any other in your garden. If you’re looking for something a bit different for seasonal interest or outdoor centerpieces, there’s no better species than tropical bromeliads.

Viewer pictures this week well illustrate that Texans can figure anything out! In Kerrville, Natalie Vollmar is growing several Hellebores (Lenten roses).

And in Austin, Ann Wilson’s peony bloomed this crazy winter.