With drier winter weather expected in West Hawaii, we may want
to consider plants that are somewhat drought tolerant. The
bromeliad family offers a huge variety of worthy choices. The
more than 3,000 plants in the Bromeliaceae family are
categorized as flowering monocots. Most are native to tropical
areas in the Americas. Included are terrestrial species that
root in soil, as well as epiphytes, or air plants, that get
moisture and nutrients from the air, rainfall and the plant or
structure they grow on. Bromeliads range in size from the tiny
epiphytic Spanish moss, Tillandsia usneoides, to huge rosette
species with flower spikes up to 30 feet tall. Bromeliads can be
found at elevations from sea level to 4,000 feet and have
developed many features that allow them to adapt to a wide range
of climatic conditions. Their foliage varies from thin spikes to
soft, broad, strap-like leaves. Most grow as a rosette of leaves
that can vary widely in pattern and color. Bromeliad
inflorescences are more diverse than those