How to Identify Bromeliad Leaves
A bromeliad is an easily grown plant with long-lasting flowers and attractive foliage. Bromeliads vary in style and type and can grow indoors or out in warm climates. Some look like grass, while others have thick leaves, like aloe plants. The most popular bromeliad type is the pineapple and is the only bromeliad cultivated for food. While some bromeliads are tiny and others quite large, they all share common characteristics. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Examine a pineapple's leaves. Pineapples are easy to find at a grocery store and most bromeliads have the same leaf structure, whether larger or smaller. Looking at a pineapple will give you an idea of what to look for in other plants you suspect are bromeliads.
-
2
Observe leaves on a plant that are long, thin and pointed. Usually green, the foliage on a bromeliad is long and thin, with a wider base than tip -- although that is not always the case.
-
-
3
Look at the base of the leaves for a "rosette" formation, with all leaves emerging from the center of the plant. Every bromeliad has a spiral conformation of leaves that form the rosette. The leaves in the rosette overlap so as to form a water reservoir, according to the Bromeliad Society.
-
4
Identify the central cup. All bromeliads have a central cup in the middle of the rosette that collects leaf debris, insects and other debris. This is the water reservoir. There are some very old types of terrestrial bromeliads that do not have the ability to store water.
-
5
Look for trichomes on the leaves. Trichomes are small scales on the leaves of all bromeliads. They are part of their absorption system. Those bromeliads that live in the desert benefit from this system as the scales help keep water in the plant and shield them from the sun. On some bromeliads the scales are silver or white and feel fuzzy while others, in more humid areas the scales are smaller, but still present.
-
1
References
- Photo Credit Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images
