Vriesea species are tank-type Bromeliaceae, mainly occurring as epiphytes. With their
absorbing trichomes and their leaves arranged into water and nutrient catching tanks, they
are able to thrive in tree canopies where water and nutrient uptake by the roots is limited.
However, when commercially cultivated in greenhouses as ornamentals these plants grow
in a very different environment: they are offered ample water and nutrients, and their roots
develop in horticultural substrates. This study shows that under commercial cultivation …