Epiphytes are plants that normally grow on other plants without harming them. They grow in the detritus and leaf litter that collects in the crotches of the "host" plant and live off the nutrients of the detritus. Orchids, bromeliads, tillandsia(a group of bromeliads) and there is a family of epiphytic cactus as well. The Christmas cactus is probably the best known of these.



There are hundreds of varieties of bromeliads, vase shaped plants with stiff leaves of varying degrees. Most of the bromeliads can hold water in the vases but not all, as in the tillandsia. They also normally have a scaly looking covering on their leaves that is capable of absorbing water and nutrients. Probably the best know of the bromeliads is the pineapple. Once bromeliads flower the parent plant dies, some will produce offshoots from the base of the dying parent but not all of the time. They can be induced to flower by being exposed to methane gas. This is a practice used by most horitculturalists to prepare them for market since it's their extravagant flowers that draws people to buy them. In the wild bromeliads will live for many years before flowering, giving them ample time to produce these offsets before the parent dies. Growers can't wait years so they gas them, take what offsets have been produced for growing out, repot the parent and send it to market. They are destined to die after several months.

Sooooo it my not be our Geckos killing them if you're buying these already blooming bromeliads. Quite often the vases of bromeliads are home to little creatures like tree frogs, geckos and the like. The nutrients from their waste is a source of food for the bromeliads.



While orchids are an epiphyte most won't tolerate critters crawling on their more delicate leaf structure and they can be quite expensive.



You could cultivate bromeliads from the offsets of your parent plants if there are any. You could also grow pineapples from the crowns of pineapples you buy from the store. If you're interested in how to do this let me know.



Hope this helps

BigT
-----
Hope this helps.



BigT

There is a difference between ignorance and stupidity. The ignorant can be taught, stupidity is beyond our control.

[ Hide Replies ]

• epiphytes - harlanm, Fri Oct 1 07:17:00 2004
• RE: Orchids N/P - Bodhisdad, Fri Oct 1 18:50:49 2004
• RE: epiphytes - Bigtattoo, Mon Oct 4 08:05:33 2004