Nursery plants for hot dry areas ,

[aroideana]

Reading the posts of our new Brazilian member , reminds me of a great chapter I read years ago in a book written by Elton Leme . He is a lawyer in Brazil and a great bromeliad collector and expert having published several books now . His first was called 'Bromeliads in The Brazilian Wilderness' It showed the harsh enviroment that many of these plants come from , and how careless clearing and grazing had destroyed so much . But he noticed that a single clump of tough Neoregelia cruenta would nurse along a small shrub or 2 . And when he returned in a few years a palm or tree may be growing there , and eventually some form a forest would return .
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Ameri...2s01-woam.html

[Speedy]

Thanks Aroideana.
I love Broms, but sadly it's too dry and cold for most species to really do well here without help.
Some Billbergias seem to do ok if protected a bit, but aren't as showy as some of the Alcantareas , Vriesias, Queznelias , Aechmeas etc.
Dyckias and some Puyas do well amongst the Agaves and Cacti though.

Re. your post, I've seen (in Aust.) how some trees and shrubs can start off in brom leaf axils and then take off.
they provide mulch, humudity and moisture to tide them over for longer than if without the broms.
and spikey lvs. afford a bit of protection from browsers while young and vulnerable.

While living in NNSW i'd put broms and orchids around in trees and on the ground to increase complexity in systems and provide
more opportunities for nature to work it's magic.