TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Dig This: Bromeliads

ADVERTISEMENT

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 20, 2008

Related Links

• More From At Home

  Aechmea orlandiana

  Neoregelia cruenta

  Neoregelia "Checkmate"

  Aechmea "Little Harve"

Money may not grow on trees, but lots of bromeliads will, which is good news for Bay area gardeners cursed with bad dirt.

Most of those tree bromeliads will grow in the ground, too, and they don't care how nutritionally deficient your soil is. Some are happy just to sit in cypress mulch. (Yes, environmentalists, it's cypress they prefer, not the eco-friendly mulches.)

Bromeliads add lots of garden color, with foliage that ranges from rich red to lime green to glowing bronze. Get 'em in the right spot and they'll never ask another thing of you.

"Just like in real estate it's location, location, location," says Tom Wolfe, president of the Bromeliad Guild of Tampa Bay.

Ready to give 'em a try? The biggest bromeliad event in the country this year is happening right here Aug. 30 and 31. It's hosted by the local guild and sponsored by the state Council of Bromeliad Societies.

From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 30, you'll find a huge plant sale with most prices from $5 to $15. Admission is $3 at Sheraton Suites Tampa Airport, 4400 W. Cypress St., Tampa. On Aug. 31, join a bus tour of four bromeliad-rich gardens. It costs $10; call (813) 985-3584 for details.

Aechmea orlandiana

A valuable plant and one that has many looks, orlandiana will grow on driftwood, in pots or in the landscape. It produces a dramatic orange-red bloom. Maintenance?

"Just look at it," Wolfe says.

Neoregelia cruenta

Native to the beaches of Brazil, this is a great plant for yards with full sun and sand for dirt, but it also does well in filtered sun. Some varieties have yellow, green or bronze foliage. The bloom stays low in the cup.

Neoregelia "Checkmate"

Checkmate likes bright, filtered light and responds by producing more vibrant red in its red and green foliage. It grows to about 24 inches wide and can be planted straight into cypress mulch.

Aechmea "Little Harve"

Named for the son of a Homestead grower, Wolfe says Little Harve's dramatic presence has given it star power: It has appeared on the pages of design magazines including Southern Living. It grows in shade to bright, filtered light, and produces a large red scape with yellow-orange blooms.

Penny Carnathan

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT