Preface

Few groups in the plant kingdom can match the Bromeliaceae family in their astounding diversity in size, color, overall appearance and habitat where they may be found. Endemic only to North, Central, and South America, bromeliads, as they are more commonly known, grow at elevations ranging from nearly 5,000 meters above sea level to some areas that are actually below sea level and from humid, tropical jungle environments to arid desert areas where rainfall is rare to non-existent.

The bromeliad family is divided into recognized sub-groups or Genera, each based on certain distinctive features that the plants have in common. Some of these groups are strictly terrestrial in nature and produce dense masses of plants with long leaves that are so heavily armed with sharp spines that they can serve as effective barriers against intruders when strategically planted in the landscape. Others are more opportunistic and may be found growing in the forest canopy or on the surrounding floor where they have fallen. Still others are strictly epiphytic, never developing roots but instead spending their lives clinging to tree limbs with their thin, curly leaves. Some varieties can even be found scattered over arid sands, without roots to anchor them into those same sands and subsisting entirely on atmospheric moisture to meet their needs. Many of these bromeliads have developed a protective feature to both conserve water and shield the plant from intense sunlight by means of specially modified structures known as trichomes. These same structures are responsible for the silvery-gray appearances to the leaves on some bromeliads and the distinctive banding noted on others.

Perhaps the most common question I am asked regarding bromeliads concerns the bloom, or more accurately - the“inflorescence”of the plant. That question being “when will this plant bloom again? ”While that bloom can often be very decorative and long lasting, with very few exceptions an individual bromeliad will only bloom once. This need not be as disturbing as it seems however. Once the plant has reached maturity, it then puts its remaining energy into replicating itself through the production of offsets or"pups". These usually form in the leaf axils and will mature to become exact copies or “clones” of the parent plant. They can either be removed and allowed to mature as individual plants or left attached to the parent to become an interesting group display. This is not the only means of reproduction for this plant family however. If the individual flowers in the inflorescence prove to be fertile and are visited by a suitable pollinator, the resulting seed that is produced can be germinated and cultivated to produce large numbers of new plants that may or may not closely resemble the seed parent. This is dependent on the source of the pollen that was introduced to the flowers, but provides an opportunity for some variability to show in the seedlings. Hybridizers throughout the world have used this principal to introduce many new varieties of bromeliads to the marketplace that are often more hardy and colorful than either of the parent plants. Within the Bromeliaceae family by far the Genus with the largest number of identified species is the Tillandsia group. Often referred to as “air plants”, Tillandsias are enjoying a newfound popularity throughout the world. This is no doubt at least partially due to their generally compact size as well as their remarkable ability to tolerate a wide range of growing conditions that other types of plants would be hard pressed to survive under. Of course there is a very large difference between “tolerating” adverse growing conditions and “thriving” under these same conditions and this is where the need for a book dedicated to this most interesting family comes in. This is also the bromeliad group that can be found over the broadest range of environmental conditions and includes varieties that are found in the extremes of those growing conditions. Tillandsias grow at the highest of elevations defining where members of the bromeliad family have been found and they are also well established at both the highest and lowest of latitudes bordering their habitat. As you might expect, given such a wide range of native habitat,“suitable growing conditions” can be a puzzling term and the amateur grower may need some guidance in matching a newly acquired Tillandsia with an appropriate environment for that plant to thrive.

Identifying the plant is a critical first step toward this. Once the plant is properly identified, then its native habitat can be researched and a determination can be made as to how to match those conditions. How to best identify your plant? References such as this book can be a tremendous help by providing photographs of many varieties. Does the plant have thin, greyish silvery leaves or are the leaves broad and green? How large is the plant? Tillandsias can range in size from the tiny Tillandsia bryoides to the huge Tillandsia fendleri, but perhaps the most important feature in identifying any bromeliad is its inflorescence. This may require a bit of patience while waiting for the plant to mature and bloom, but observing the complete cycle of growth from a tiny offset to a mature blooming specimen is part of the enjoyment of growing these truly fascinating plants!

President of Bromeliad Society International（2010-2016）