Gardens : Myriads of Bromeliads

Their leaves might come flat or arched, plain or mottled, in orange, lime green or fuchsia. Their blossoms might be purple, yellow or red. Bromeliads look like cactus, but they’re from the pineapple family, and in the past decade, they have been hybridized so that gardeners can choose from hundreds of new colors and shapes.

Many innovations, such as the Neoregelia shown here, are the work of amateur propagators such as Ted Johnson. His Palos Verdes Peninsula greenhouse bulges with bromeliads. “I have a hard time throwing plants away,” he confesses.

Ideal house plants, bromeliads also grow outdoors in frost-free areas; all they require is water in their central cups. Some nurseries--like Tropics in Hollywood and Rainforest Flora in Gardena--stock good selections, but the newest varieties are cultivated by garden societies. Johnson shows his at an annual sale at the South Coast Botanic Garden.