50 Years in Business

Fifty years. Five decades. Half a century.

No matter how you say it, fifty years is a long time. Yet for us at Tropiflora, time has flown. Looking back on all that has transpired—from what I often call “a hobby gone bad,” to a name known throughout the bromeliad world (and beyond)—it’s almost too much to take in.

From the beginning, Tropiflora has remained loyal to bromeliad enthusiasts—the very core of our clientele. We shunned mass marketing, choosing instead to focus on spreading appreciation and joy of the bromeliad hobby by growing and introducing quality new varieties to the trade.

In our early years, we embarked on nearly nonstop expeditions to most countries where bromeliads are native, seeking new plants for cultivation and discovering many species new to science. Plants from our collections now reside in herbaria and botanical gardens around the world.

And who could forget Tropiflora’s contribution to the remarkable Gardens by the Bay in Singapore? Hundreds of thousands of our plants went into the garden’s design, including tens of thousands of bromeliads for the Supertrees alone.

Over time, wild collecting has become more difficult, even as interest in bromeliads has grown worldwide. Our long-standing position and vast inventory have fostered strong relationships with collectors and growers across the globe. Through our weekly VIPP listings, we continue to offer the newest, choicest, rarest plants available anywhere—fairly, one per customer, for the first 24 hours.

Our customers are king. We owe our success—and indeed our very existence—to them (to you).

More than the plants themselves, though, our employees are Tropiflora. Our first employee in Bradenton was Patsy Worley, who was deathly afraid of green tree frogs—an awkward trait for a nursery job. Jeff Ross joined us fresh from the Air Force and stayed for more than two decades, with many others following over the years. Veronica Orozco, our Tillandsia queen, has ruled her domain for thirty-five years. Our manager, Brian Weber; logistics manager Anthony Warfield; Cresencia; and Gregoria are names few can imagine Tropiflora without. Our children, Robin and Scott, now handle most management duties, and Han—familiar to all—manages our internet presence.

Most years have been kind to Tropiflora. We grew, hosted dozens of festivals, participated in conferences and shows around the world, and prospered. But there were also hard times. We endured freezes and storms of every description. Hurricanes Ian and Milton brought us to our knees. Prayers helped—but so did you, our customers, and our many dear friends.

By far the greatest reward of our years running the nursery has been the friendships we’ve gained along the way. Near and far, here and abroad—some we may have never met face to face, yet still count as family. It’s an extraordinary feeling.

Thank you all for being there for us, for helping us become who we are, and for sticking with us through thick and thin. It’s been a heck of a ride—and a pleasure beyond words.

Dennis, Linda and Tropiflora Team