Bromeliads aren’t difficult to care for, but it’s quite different from other types of plants. Once you understand what they need, you’ll easily be able to keep yours thriving.
In this post I’ll show you everything you need to know to be successful. From watering and humidity, to soil, light, flowering, pruning, fertilizing, pest control, and much more, you’ll find it all right here.
Information About Bromeliads
Like orchids and staghorn ferns, most types of bromeliads are epiphytes. That means they grow on trees, rocks or other plants in nature, and they get most of their water and nutrients from the air rather than the soil.
Some can be difficult to grow as houseplants, because they like humidity and can dry out too quickly in the average home (especially during the dry winter months).
They are slow growing plants, and most of them will only bloom once in their lives because they die after flowering.
Sad I know, but they usually have lots of babies before they die, so you’ll get even more plants out of the deal (but more on that later).
Flowers
Many people think that the large colorful growth that makes bromeliads so popular is the flower, which is a common misconception. That is actually the bract, and not the flower.
The flowers grow out of the colorful bracts. Some are large spikes, and others are tiny and insignificant. Learn all about bromeliad flowers here, including when, how often, and how long they bloom.
Where To Grow Bromeliads
If you’re lucky enough to live in a tropical climate where it never get below freezing, then you can grow bromeliads outside in your garden.
Otherwise they make wonderful flowering houseplants, and are also pet friendly plants that are safe to grow if you have cats or dogs. Woohoo!
Bromeliad Plant Care Guide
If you’re new to growing these tropical beauties, you’ll find that bromeliad care is much different than any other plant you probably have.
Since they absorb nutrients and water through their leaves, you’ll need to take special care in watering, feeding, and potting them.
Proper Watering
One thing that’s different about bromeliad plant care is that you don’t water them via the soil. Instead you should keep their center cup filled, and the growing medium on the dry side.
Indoors, dump out the central vase and refresh it every week or so to keep it from going stagnant. Outdoors, you can flush it regularly to keep it clean, if necessary.
Also, be careful about the type you use, because they are very sensitive to the chemicals in regular tap water. Rainwater, distilled, or filtered are the best. Learn more about exactly how to water bromeliads here for the best success.
Humidity Requirements
Bromeliads like humid air, so they do best in tropical climates. If you live in an arid region, then you should put misters around them.
Indoors you should mist your plant on a regular basis if your home is dry. Or try putting it in a room that’s naturally more humid, like a bathroom or in the kitchen close to the sink.
You could also run a humidifier during the winter to help keep the humidity level consistent in the room. An indoor humidity monitor is handy to help you give your plant the perfect amount.
Light
When it comes to sunshine, bromeliads aren’t super fussy, and they make great low light indoor plants. But direct sunlight can burn the leaves, and they’ll grow leggy if it’s too dark.
For best results, put yours in a spot that gets medium to bright, indirect light. A small grow light helps a ton indoors if you don’t have any sunny windows.
Soil
Technically speaking, bromeliads don’t need soil at all. They don’t get their moisture and nutrients from the soil, they use their roots to attach themselves onto trees, plants, or rocks in the wild.
You can mount yours on a log, wood, or a board, or plant it in a container. If you prefer to grow yours in a pot, you can buy a soil mix that’s specifically made for them, or use an orchid medium.
Otherwise, you can make your own soilless medium my mixing sphagnum moss, bark, perlite and/or other coarse organic materials.
Fertilizer
Bromeliads aren’t heavy feeders, so you don’t need to fertilize the regularly. But, like any plant, they will benefit from the added nutrients – just make sure to feed them sparingly.
Also, it’s important that you always use a natural, organic brand. They are very sensitive to synthetic chemicals, which can easily burn them.
If you’d like to give yours a boost, use a half strength liquid fertilizer or compost tea during the spring and summer months.
Pest Control Tips
While they don’t usually have much trouble with bugs, sometimes houseplant scale or mealybugs can become a problem. So keep an eye out for these pests during your regular bromeliad care routine.
If you find any, don’t use chemical pesticides. I recommend neem oil, which is a natural insecticide, or an organic insecticidal soap to treat them. Always test any product on a leaf before spraying the whole plant.
Pruning
For the most part, you don’t need to worry about pruning your bromeliad plants. You can trim off dead or dying leaves at any time.
Cut off the flower bract after it dies back, but keep the plant growing as long as you can. Once it dies back completely, you can prune it out.
Tips For Propagating Bromeliad Plants
Like I mentioned above, most bromeliads will eventually fade and die after they’re done flowering. This is a sad fact of life.
But the good news is that they usually have lots of babies before they die. As they come to the end of their life, tiny pups will grow around the base of the main plant.
You can remove these pups once they’re mature enough, or just allow them to grow after the mother plant has died back. Get the full step by step tutorial for how to propagate bromeliads here.
Troubleshooting Common Problems
There’s nothing worse than watching your bromeliad plant die, and you have no idea what’s wrong with it. So in this section, I’ll list some of the most common problems, and give you tips to fix them.
Flower turning brown, or the color is fading
Once the flower bract starts to turn brown or the color fades, it’s a sign that the plant is done blooming and is starting to die, which is a normal part of their life cycle.
Unfortunately, there’s nothing you can do to save the plant once it starts dying. But, don’t toss it out! Keep it growing as long as possible so baby pups have time to form and mature.
Leaves Turning Yellow
When the leaves start turning yellow, it means that your plant may be getting too much or not enough light, or because of improper watering.
Keep it out of the direct sun, and water it by filling the center cup, rather than moistening the soil.
Brown Leaves
The leaves may start to look dry and crispy due to a lack of water or sunburn. They will also start turning brown as the plant naturally dies back after flowering.
Ensure it’s getting the right amount of light and moisture. If it just finished flowering, then prune the brown leaves off as they die back, but keep the green ones growing as long as possible to encourage pups to form.
Bromeliads are fun to grow, and it’s not that difficult to care for them. Now that you know all about what they need to thrive, you’ll get the hang of it in no time!
If you want to learn all there is to know about maintaining healthy indoor plants, then you need my Houseplant Care eBook. It will show you everything you need to know about how to keep every plant in your home thriving. Download your copy now!
More Posts About Growing Houseplants
- Rabbit’s Foot Fern Care: How To Grow “Davallia fejeensis”
- How To Care For Rubber Plants
- Complete Tropical Houseplant Care Guide
Do you have any bromeliad plant care tips to add to this list? Please share them in the comments section below.
Rae Matthew says
Thanks for your very informative article. I have been struggling with the bromeliads I inherited from my late mother-in-law who was a fantastic gardener and grew her bromeliads in an outside garden. She lived in a warmer climate over near the sea coast. I planted mine outside (in the mid-island, cooler region, frosty in winter) and they hated me. I gave up trying to force them to thrive and chucked them in a plastic bin crammed together. I left them round the side of the shed where it’s quite sheltered and forgot all about them. They lived in banishment under some ornamental taro for the last year and I recently rediscovered them thriving in a bucket of rotted bromeliad leaves and water. Ho ho, I thought, and I took them back round to the front garden and planted them deep in rich, organic mulch and sheep pellets. Arggggg . Thanks to your article I plan on rescuing them tomorrow and letting them grow back where they were but nestled in bark.
Amy Andrychowicz says
You’re welcome! That’s so funny that the bromeliads ended up thriving on your neglect. Haha! They like a lot of humidity. So, since your mother in law lived by the sea, and you’re further inland, that may be why yours aren’t doing as well. Good luck, hope they will grow great in their new spot!
Pamela M says
What great (and simple) information! Thank you. Mom just got her first bromeliad as a birthday gift, and is bewildered. I knew bromeliads are different, but wasn’t sure of the details of their proper care. Your info will be a blessing for this beautiful plant! Thanks again…and now I print it out….
Amy Andrychowicz says
You’re welcome! So glad that you’ve found my bromeliad care tips helpful! That’s always great to hear. Hope your plant will thrive. 🙂
Ultan Fitzsimons says
Hi Amy, I bought a bromeliad a few weeks ago and the yellow leaves at the top are starting to wilt already. Any tips or suggestions? Thanks.
Amy Andrychowicz says
If your bromeliad was blooming when you got it, that might mean that it’s starting to die back. This is the normal lifecycle for bromeliads, and unfortunately, there’s nothing you can do to stop it. 🙁 Just watch for pups to grow around the base, and keep those once the mother plant dies.
Ultan Fitzsimons says
Thanks Amy, I really appreciate your help and advice.
Amy Andrychowicz says
You’re welcome!
Robin Ferrin says
I had one given to me and under each plant there are roots but holding them together it looks like skinny branches? is this a common thing?
Amy Andrychowicz says
Yes, those skinny branches between your bromeliads are called stolons, and it’s how the babies grow from the mother plant. That way, the babies can still get nutrients from the mother as they work to grow their own roots, and become mature enough to eventually be separated and live on their own. You can think of it as an umbilical cord I guess, LOL!
Patricia Overbey says
hanks for the tips on the Bromeliads plant I bought it as my husband liked the flower has died & we now have 4 pups which are quite big I would like to transplant however I am not sure how to do this help
Amy Andrychowicz says
If your bromeliad pups are large, then they should have their own roots by now. I would remove the entire plant from the pot, and then gently brush the soil away from the base of the pups to make sure they have established their own roots. If they have, then you can loosen the entire rootball, tease the roots apart to separate the pups from the mother plant, and then pot them up into their own containers. If the pups don’t have any roots yet, then give it more time.
Billy Jones says
I have four Bromeliad plants they’re all doing really well but only one has pups why do the others not have any pups
Amy Andrychowicz says
Bromeliads usually won’t start to form pups until the mother plant blooms. So, if your bromeliads haven’t flowered yet, then that’s why they don’t have any pups.
Elizabeth Reichek says
Hi Amy,
This is the best site I have found on bromeliads. Thanks Amy!
I bought a bromeliad 1-2 years ago. It bloomed and looked great. After the flower died, the leaves were still green and healthy, so I re-potted it using potting soil (I didn’t know). Placed it outside on the porch in semi shade (I live in San Diego). It continued to produce more leaves and looked good even with no flower! About 6 weeks ago, a spike came out! YAY—what a surprise! It’s now grown to 24″ from the cup to top, which is far bigger than the original one was.
Now it has the the small hairlike blooms that you said was actually the flower blooming. They are yellow and the floral bract is red/pink. There are only a few of these yellow blossoms and some are brown and did not bloom. Should I be concerned about this? Also, do you think this flower bract is from the original flower—or did it come from a pup?
Amy Andrychowicz says
Awesome, thanks so much! 🙂
That is fantastic that your bromeliad has bloomed again, great job! You definitely live in the perfect climate for them, I’m jealous! 🙂 Some bromeliad varieties can rebloom, so it’s not totally uncommon. But the flower may have come from a pup too, it’s difficult to know for sure. Enjoy!
Lorna B Dyer-Maden says
Am a bromeliad novice…this is the best website about the plant that I have found! Hope mine gives me years and years of pleasure…it already has one pup growing
Amy Andrychowicz says
Wonderful, I’m so happy that your bromeliad is growing well for you! Thanks so much about the nice comment about the site, so glad to hear you’re enjoying it and have found this article useful! 🙂
Roberto De Jesus-Clavell says
Hi Amy, nice to meet you. I am Dr. Roberto DeJesus and live in Puerto Rico. Bromeliads, ferns and orchids are our favorite plants and we have home over 20 different varieties of the bromeliads, as well as ferns and orchids.
Thanks for the tips because they are very informative and helpful.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Hello, it’s nice to meet you too! I’m so glad to hear that you’re finding my bromeliad growing tips helpful! Sounds like you have a wonderful collection of plants. Enjoy!
Phyllis Ford says
Thank you for your help. I did more research and found out I have a Zebra Plant. I’m not sure if that is a Bromeliad. I’ll keep learning about the plant. Thank you again. This is a very helpful website.
Amy Andrychowicz says
You’re welcome! There are a few plants with the common name ‘Zebra Plant’, and one of them is a type of bromeliad. So it sure could be. If it has a center cup that holds water, then it probably is a bromeliad.
Phyllis Ford says
Thank you for your ideas. Should I just cut off the leaning-over-stem? Is there no way for it to stand up again? The leaves are bright green and healthy.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Yes, if the bromeliad flower has faded and died, you can cut it back and leave the rest of the plant growing. Eventually the leaves will start to fade and die too, and you can prune them out as they start to die. But leave it growing as long as you can so that it has a good chance to grow babies around the bottom.
Phyllis Ford says
After it flowered, my bromeliad was doing well, but a stem and leaves just fell over this morning. It happened to another stem a few weeks ago. What can I do?
Amy Andrychowicz says
Unfortunately bromeliads die after flowering, so there’s nothing you can do to save them. This is just their normal lifecycle. However, you can prune back the dead flower, and the leaves as they start to die, and leave the plant to see if any new babies will grow out of the base. That’s how they reproduce. Good luck!
Fabiola Plewinski says
Hello. This website was very helpful. I live if florida. There are bromeliads all over in people’s front lawns . I planted some and some have held up and other died. I just inspected them and seems that they re rotting out. Could it be that there is too much water in the cup or between leaves? water seems kind of greenish w algea or something. THey are in direct sunlight so should need the water. Can’t empty it out since they are planted. I have sprinklers on daily for 30 mins and needed for rest of the grass and other plants as it gets very hot here! some also just came right off the stalk they grew from. can I just replant those? I can’t know for sure if the ones dying had already flowered before I bought them…
Amy Andrychowicz says
Thanks, I’m so glad to hear you found this article helpful! My guess is that the bromeliads that are dying have already flowered. But it could also be caused by the soil being too wet. They need to have the center cup filled for water, and they also love humidity. But the soil should be kept dry. Bromeliads are epiphytic though, so in your climate, you can mount them on a log or tree rather than planting them in the dirt if you want to give that a try. As for the ones that have rotted or are pulling away from the stalk… unfortunately there’s nothing you can do to save them. They have likely already flowered and are dying (which is their normal lifecycle). But they may end up growing babies around the base. So I would just leave them and see what happens (you can prune off the dead leaves if you want). Good luck!
Ashley says
I just picked mine up
From a cleriance cart at Kroger the soil is saturated. And it’s very faded with holes in the leaf. Any suggestions. Also would it be happy in a bathroom with artificial light and some light that filters in from the other rooms?
Amy Andrychowicz says
Congrats on your new bromeliad. Allow the soil to dry out and don’t water it from the bottom, just fill up the center cup. Read the “Bromeliad Plant Watering Tips” section above for more details about how to water bromeliads. Yes, they do well in low light. Just be sure the bathroom doesn’t stay too dark. A dark bathroom with light filtering in from other rooms won’t be enough unless it’s super bright light. Also, from the way you describe your bromeliad leaves, the plant may have already flowered. If so, then be sure to watch for babies growing around the base, because eventually the main plant will die back.
Kelly Day says
How do I empty the bromeliad cups? When I try, I wind up with bark everywhere. Love your site.
Amy Andrychowicz says
There’s no need to empty the bromeliad cups. If the water is getting stagnant, you can just flush it with fresh water. Thanks for your compliment about my site, glad to hear you love it! 🙂
Kely says
Thank you! I’m trying to raise my first pup, so your advice is much appreciated. Congratulations on your beautiful garden. I used to live in Minnesota, so I know zone 4 can be a challenge.
Amy Andrychowicz says
You’re welcome, and good luck with your baby bromeliad! 🙂
Terry Marcell says
I just bought a beautiful bromelaid .I watered it with tap water not knowing how bad it is for the plant. Also, watered the soil not the cups.. PLEASE tell me that all is not lost.
Amy Andrychowicz says
It sounds like your bromeliad should be fine as long as you change your watering routine now. 🙂
Tarsha Devoe says
My plant still has a little color but i see the pups are actually turning a vibrant purple the original was not a very large plant before it died but its pups are literally growing and past the green faze and i have 3 pups they seem tiny to me but yet they have this hue…should I propagate now or leave them be? I got it from the grocery store about 3 months ago tbe top was a vibrant pink wich is now fading.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Congrats on the new babies on your bromeliad! I would cut back the dead mother plant, and allow the pups to grow larger before dividing it. Bromeliad pups need to have established roots before they can live on their own. So I’d wait until they are at least 3″ tall, then check to see if they have roots before removing them.