Bromeliaceae

Silver-grey banded leaves forming a wide, upright urn with a spectacular pink bract spike emerging from the center. The pink bracts last for several months, one of the longest-lasting flowering displays of any indoor plant. After flowering the rosette declines and produces pups from the base. The pups can be separated once they reach about one-third the size of the parent.

Silver and dark green banded leaves with a dramatic orange and red flower spike. Larger and more architectural than fasciata. The banding gives the foliage year-round interest beyond the flowering period. Requires slightly more light than fasciata for the banding to remain vivid. Same care principles — keep the cup filled, barely moist soil, rainwater preferred.

Flat, star-shaped rosette with wavy-margined, striped leaves in combinations of green, cream, and pink. The pink intensifies in bright indirect light. More tolerant of average home humidity than most bromeliads. Unlike tank bromeliads, water the soil — there is no cup to fill. Produces pups at the base. A good terrarium plant due to its flat habit and moderate humidity tolerance.

Glossy, strap-shaped green leaves with a vivid central bract spike in red, orange, or yellow. One of the most widely sold bromeliad gift plants. Tolerates genuinely lower light than most flowering plants — indirect north-facing light is adequate for maintaining the plant, though the bract color is most vivid in brighter indirect positions. Keep the central cup filled with fresh water. Same monocarpic lifecycle as Aechmea — pups follow flowering.

Wide, flat rosette with green or variegated leaves that blush vivid red in the central region as flowering approaches — the 'blushing' the family is named for. The small purple flowers are produced inside the cup and are almost incidental to the visual impact of the coloring. Requires bright indirect light to produce and maintain the red blushing. Same tank care as Aechmea and Guzmania.

Large, silvery, curling leaves forming a dramatic sphere. The most architecturally impressive air plant in common cultivation. Xeric — from dry, high-light environments in Mexico, Guatemala, and El Salvador. Requires bright light including some direct sun, and infrequent watering. Mist once a week or soak briefly once every 2-3 weeks, then allow to dry completely within 4 hours. Never allow water to pool in the center. Slow growing but long-lived.

Small, compact, silvery-green rosette that blushes vivid red-orange as it approaches flowering, then produces purple flowers. One of the most widely sold and most forgiving air plants. Xeric — tolerates irregular misting. Clusters prolifically over time. One of the best entry points for Tillandsia growing.

Swollen, hollow bulbous base with long, twisting, tentacle-like leaves — the most alien-looking of the commonly available air plants. Mesic — from humid lowland forest environments. Requires more frequent watering than xeric species: soak in water for 20-30 minutes once a week, then shake dry and allow to dry within 4 hours. In nature the hollow base is colonised by ants; indoors it can trap water if not properly dried, causing rot.

Dark green leaves with horizontal purple-black banding and a flat, sword-shaped red and yellow flower spike. The banding provides year-round foliage interest and the spike lasts several months. One of the most tolerant bromeliads for lower indoor light. Keep the central cup filled. Same monocarpic lifecycle as other tank bromeliads — the rosette flowers and declines, pups follow.