Did You Know That Pineapples Are Pretty Bromeliads?The Story of Pretty Bromeliads
A Little History Bromeliads have been known since the days of Christopher Columbus. The people of the Carribean were found to be cultivating pretty bromeliads and they were eating "pineapple". Yes this was the first bromeliad discovered. Columbus then took the pretty bromeliad to Spain and subsequently grew them. Since 1493 they were transported into old world countries including India. Today most pineapples are a product of Hawaii. Of interest the the pineapple stems contain a protein known as bromelian which is used as a meat tenderizer today. Most pretty bromeliads grow in the tropical and sub-tropical areas. This includes South America and especially Brazil. Other countries also in South America give rise to a number of varieties. In fact, there are 56 genera or families and about 2700 varieties. Like orchid plants there are three types of plants. The terrestrial which grows in soil, the epiphyte which is the air plant and the saxiocolus which grows on rocks. This is very similar to what we see with orchids. Growth Patterns The growth pattern of pretty bromeliads is around a tightly formed rosette of leafs, usually fairly think leaves. The terrestrial bromeliads depend on the root system for its nutrients especially water. The other types depend on the tightness of the leaves in the rosette to collect and hold the water. These can be supplemented by a trichome which is thickened flakes on the leaves which advantage the plant to have more area to absorb water. So these plants have a very efficient absorption system which is also like the orchid plants. The leaves can vary from plant to plant. Some form a tight rosette with the leaves and others can have their leaves 180 degrees away from each other. The other purpose of the rosette includes is some plants have tiny chambers at the base of the leaves. The bromeliad allows ants to live here and the waste products of the ants gives additional fertilizer to the plant. Really efficiency at its best. Flower Stalk The flower of the bromeliads is in the center of the plant. Some flowers can grow along a lengthy stalk while with others it could be short. The flower can be many on a stalk or a single one. These flowers are generally colorful. Once a flower has been produced it rarely will produce another. What occurs is that it will produce a "pup" which is a baby bromeliad which will grow until it reaches a stage where is can root itself. It feeds from its mother and depends on being pollinated by flying insects like bees. The mother may survive for a generation of two but then will die off. Did you know that the green leafy part of the top of a pineapple is a "baby" bromeliad? I will be adding information on bromeliads to this page so return soon for more fun bromelaid facts. Return to the top of pretty bromeliads page
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