Bromeliad Care

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The bromeliad lifecycle

Understanding the bromeliad lifecycle is the most important thing to know before bringing one home, because it changes how you think about the plant entirely.

Bromeliads bloom once in their lifetime. The bright flower spike, bracts, or colorful central leaves you see in the store are the plant's single reproductive event. After this, the flower slowly dies — a process that takes weeks to months. This is normal and expected. Do not try to save the flower or assume the plant is dying from neglect.

As the mother plant ages after flowering, it produces offsets called pups from the base. These pups are genetically identical clones of the mother. The mother then gradually declines over 1 to 2 years while the pups grow. When the pups are large enough, you remove them and pot them separately. The pups will eventually bloom themselves, 1 to 3 years later, and the cycle continues.

So when you buy a bromeliad in bloom, you are buying a plant at the end of its adult life, not the beginning. The pups are the actual next generation.

The central tank: the most important care feature

Most indoor bromeliads are tank bromeliads — they have a central cup or urn formed by the overlapping bases of their leaves that collects and holds water. In the wild, this is how they drink. Rain falls into the canopy and drips into the tank. Insects and small amphibians live in these miniature pools.

Indoors, your job is to keep this tank filled with water. Pour water directly into the center cup until it fills, not onto the soil. The soil should be kept barely moist, not wet. Almost all the water the plant needs comes from the tank, not the roots.

Flush the tank completely and refill every 1 to 2 weeks. Stagnant water in the tank leads to bacterial growth, unpleasant odors, and can attract mosquitoes. Tilt the plant to pour out the old water, then refill with fresh.

Use filtered water or rainwater if possible. Tap water contains chlorine and fluoride that accumulate in the tank over time and can damage the plant. Letting tap water sit overnight reduces chlorine somewhat but not fluoride.

Soil and pot watering

Even though bromeliads get most of their water through the tank, the soil should not be allowed to dry out completely. Check the soil every week to 10 days. If the top inch is dry, add a little water to the soil (not through the tank for this purpose). The roots are mainly for anchoring, not heavy drinking, so the soil needs to be barely moist, not consistently wet.

Use a fast-draining potting mix. Equal parts potting soil, perlite, and orchid bark works well. Standard potting mix compacts too much and holds too much water around the roots. Bromeliads are epiphytes in nature (growing on trees, not in soil), so their roots need excellent drainage and air.

Light requirements

Bright indirect light is best for most indoor bromeliads. A spot near a south or east-facing window works well. They can handle more direct morning sun than many other tropical houseplants.

Different genera have different light tolerances. Neoregelia (the flat rosette types with colorful foliage) tend to need more light to develop their vivid red and pink coloring. Guzmania and vriesea (the upright types with tall flower spikes) tolerate lower light better and are good for rooms with north or east windows.

Low light does not kill bromeliads, but the coloring fades and they are less likely to produce pups quickly.

What to do after the flower dies

1. Cut the spike: Once the flower stalk is brown and dried, cut it off at the base with clean scissors. This tidies the plant and directs energy to pup production.
2. Keep caring for the mother: Continue filling the tank and keeping the soil barely moist. The mother plant will continue producing pups for 1 to 2 years before dying.
3. Watch for pups: Pups emerge from the base or between the leaves of the mother. They look like miniature versions of the parent plant.
4. Wait until pups are large enough: A pup should be at least 1/3 the size of the mother, or about 4 to 6 inches tall, before you separate it. Smaller pups lack the root development to survive independently.
5. Separate the pups: See the propagation section below.
6. Remove the mother: Once the pups are separated and potted, you can remove the remaining mother plant from the pot. Or, if it is still alive and producing pups, leave it until it dies naturally.

Propagating pups

1. Wait until the pup is at least 1/3 the size of the mother and has 4 to 6 leaves of its own.
2. Remove the parent plant from its pot to get clear access to the base.
3. Using a clean, sharp knife, cut the pup away from the mother at the base, keeping as much of the pup's root structure as possible.
4. Let the cut surface air dry for an hour.
5. Pot the pup in a small pot (the pup should fit with about 1 inch of clearance around the roots) filled with bromeliad mix (potting soil, perlite, orchid bark).
6. Fill the pup's central tank with water immediately.
7. Place in bright indirect light. The pup will establish roots over the next few weeks. New growth indicates success.
8. Expect the pup to bloom in 1 to 3 years.

Indoor bromeliad varieties

Note: Tillandsia (air plants) are botanically bromeliads but have completely different care needs. They absorb water through their leaves and should be misted frequently or soaked weekly. They do not have a central water tank and should not be watered like other bromeliads.

Troubleshooting

Frequently asked questions