Tillandsia fasciculata

Native from Florida through Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America to northern South America, this perennial bromeliad grows on trees without feeding on them. Stiff, leathery leaves form rosettes that hold water at their bases. Its branched flower stalk carries yellow, green, pink or red bracts and usually violet flowers. In Florida, it can flower throughout the year, especially from spring to early summer. Wind carries the seeds. It is listed as Endangered in Florida, where habitat loss, illegal collecting and the Mexican bromeliad weevil threaten wild populations. Photographed in Colombia.