Bromeliads in Costa Rica

Costa Rica is home to a couple of hundred types of these odd plants. Turu Ba Ri Park alone boasts 180 varieties. I photographed this lush flower in Playa Guiones. Before it opened, the whole bloom looked like the tip of the bud. Bromeliads are plants of the tropical jungle. The Bromeliad Society International reports more than 3000 species. The great majority of these plants are found in the tropical and subtropical zones of Central and South America. A few grow in the southern US and Africa.
Bromeliads vary in appearance and characteristics. All have scaly moisture-preserving leaves called trichomes, but the plants themselves may be grassy, fibrous or mossy. Some grow in soil, some on rocks, and some are epiphytes. Since these grow on trees or cactus plants and gets moisture and nutrients from the air, they are known as "air plants."

The pineapple, probably the best-known bromeliad, is the only one used for food. Photo Above: Pineapple plant from Tropical Florida Gardens.