Brocchinia acuminata

Easy to Grow: Moderate Dormancy: No Native Range: Summits of the cool Tepuis of Northeastern South America Zones: 9-11 Brocchinia acuminata is a carnivorous bromeliad with a tall, tubular, erect whorl of light green waxy leaves that are very slippery to insects. The leaves form a water collecting barrel where insects are trapped and drown.  With the help of bacteria to decompose this material, the plant then absorbs the nutrients. In their natural habit of grass and shrub, they grow in nutrient poor, sandy, swampy, open sites. It grows in great numbers on the tepui summits and down their flanks to the grassy/shrubby lowlands. It is a terrestrial perennial, and it is without a stem.  The leaves and young plantlets grow up directly from the roots. In cultivation they prefer a loose, well draining soil that is kept consistently moist . Keep the bottom of the tube filled with water. They like it warm, bright and humid. The flowers are small and inconspicuous rising on long spires above the