Bromeliads

John Skillcorn
Costa Rica
Last update: 08 April 2002

The picture to the left shows a huge bromeliad in the rainforest of Costa Rica.  I am indebted to Peter Mudde for identifying this plant as most likely being Aechmea mariae-reginae.  Being some four feet across, it could only be housed in a small greenhouse dedicated to tropical plants.  However, there were many Dendrobates pumilio in its vicinity, and would appear as an example of the type of bromeliad which, on a smaller scale, could be used in Dendrobatid vivaria for two reasons.  Firstly, it is a beautiful plant.  Secondly, it is a bromeliad capable of providing frogs such as D. pumilio with tadpole nurseries.  Many bromeliads, because of where they live perched high on tree branches in the rainforests, are designed to hold water in their leaf axils and central vase.  Dendrobatid frogs commonly use these pools of water when searching for sites in which to place their tadpoles.  In the wild, these pools are continually being topped-up by heavy rainfall.

The plants of most interest to us for this purpose are species of Neoregelia, Guzmania, some Aechmea and Nidularium.  Tillandsia the so-called 'air plants', although fascinating and beautiful little things, are also suitable but for decorative purposes only, and will not tolerate wet conditions.

Bromeliads can be grown very successfully in vivaria so long as one or two things are understood.  They must never be allowed to sit in water so must therefore be placed above the base of the vivarium where their roots can drain rapidly after spraying.  In large vivaria they can be mounted onto branches where they will happily absorb moisture from the air in-between regular sprayings.  They can also be grown very successfully on slabs of cork or tree bark.  They will need to be tied-in initially, although they will soon fasten themselves to the substrate.

Light is of equal importance.  Although they will grow in rather dim lighting conditions, the species with firmer leaves will have much better colour and general form when given plenty of light.  This must never be fierce, however, as it is likely to bleach certain species and to burn others.

Bromeliads grow in one of two ways.  The first growth form results in a mass of plants growing in a clump as shown in the drawing below.  As the parent plant flowers young 'pups' grow from the parent's base.  These can be left in situ or removed for propagation purposes as soon as they have produced a few roots of their own.

The second growth form is stoloniferous in habit, and is characterised by long stems growing out from the leaf axils, each ending in a young plant.  The stolon continues to grow eventually resulting in many plants being produced.  The drawing below shows this growth pattern, which in some of the species that exhibit it can become quite rampant.  The young plants can be removed and planted elsewhere once they have developed a small root system.