The first time I saw a bromeliad was on a trip to Hawaii with my husband Doug and our kids. This was an-escape-from-winter trip for my family. We went from a frozen landscape to the greenest place I’d ever seen.

When we pulled up to our hotel, we were greated by large containers of brightly colored bromeliads. When we stepped into the lobby of the hotel, it was all open air and looked out over the blue ocean. Inside the lobby were more planters packed with big swaths of red, yellow, and orange bromeliads. Their spiky flowers stood up like little exclamation points: "welcome to paradise" they seemed to say.

I remember standing in the lobby, transfixed—the sparkling ocean, the balmy breezes, the banks of bromeliads—it was all so magical.

So when I returned home (back to the monochromatic landscape of an Iowa winter) and happened upon a new shipment of bromeliads at my local garden center, I felt like I’d discovered a little piece of the tropics. Of course, I snatched them up. While I couldn’t haul home the crashing waves of Maui or big bowls of mahi-mahi ceviche, I could have bromeliads in my house.

I was surprised to find that although they look exotic, bromeliads aren’t hard to grow. They like moist soil (as you’d expect since they are tropical natives). They do well on a deck or a porch. Or a living room table in the middle of winter, radiating warm colors. And they add splashy color to bathrooms! (Read more about bromeliad care here.)

I like the way bromeliads look in bunches (like in my hotel in Hawaii). I generally buy 3 to 5 plants and combine them into a large container like the one in the photo above. I also like to mix up the colors because they seem so happy that way.

The best thing about bromeliads is how long they stay in bloom—for months. Easy and satisfying. What more could you want? If you are looking for a bright spot of tropical joy, look no further than bromeliads!

By the way: Here's a fun fact -- pineapple is a type of bromeliad. It's tastier than it is showy, however.