Above illustration,
"Tillandsia stricta,"
by Margaret Mee,
© Smithsonian Institution,
used with permission.
Bromeliads are members of the pineapple family (Bromeliaceae). They are often called airplants, because while some may grow terrestrially (on the ground), most are epiphytes, growing attached to tree trunks and branches. Epiphytic bromeliads do not harm their host tree. They absorb through their leaves the water and nutrients they need from the air and from the rain that falls through the canopy and becomes enriched with nutrients along the way. They use their roots only to anchor themselves to the tree, not to absorb nutrients from it.
Many bromeliads collect water between their leaves, serving as a habitat for small animals and a water source in drier months. In addition to their important ecological roles, their unusual form and colorful flowers are an added attraction to the visitors of Florida's many parks and natural areas. Their value is often overlooked, and their loss would be an immeasurable tragedy for the state.
Bromeliads are primarily tropical plants, and most of the species found in Florida prefer warm and humid conditions. The frequent short rains in south Florida during many months, the plants' ability to withstand dry conditions for long periods, and the geological conditions that maintain humidity in the drier months in south Florida all contribute to bromeliad growth. In addition, the mixture of tropical and temperate plants in south Florida's hammocks and swamps provides the appropriate canopy conditions needed by some species.
Distribution of bromeliads in Florida is primarily determined by temperature conditions. Frost limits most of the state's native bromeliads, and during years of severe cold weather, populations of cold-sensitive species can be reduced substantially. At least every decade or two, severe frost kills back populations of bromeliads in north and central Florida, establishing the northern range limits on the species occurring there. Florida's rarest bromeliads (Guzmania monostachia, Catopsis nutans, Catopsis floribunda, and Catopsis berteroniana) are restricted to the southernmost region of the state. These species also have very specific humidity and shade requirements, restricting them to certain habitats with appropriate canopy and geological conditions.
Of Florida's 16 species, 13 are not found elsewhere in the United States and one (Tillandsia simulata) is precinctive to Florida (found nowhere else). Florida populations of bromeliads are distinct from the West Indian populations from which they originated. There is also genetic variation among populations of certain species within Florida, particularly Tillandsia fasciculata (see "Up Close and Personal With the Evil Weevil"). All of Florida's native species of bromeliads are epiphytic, although some species may sometimes be found growing terrestrially (Tillandsia utriculata and Tillandsia fasciculata).
For further details on Florida's native bromeliads, see the following: