Each year the rising of the Bromeliad Tree at Selby Gardens marks the start of the holidays in Sarasota. The pattern of the lights and the plants used changes year-to-year, but always present is the excitement the tree brings to the Sarasota Bayfront. Here are a few details about the construction of the 2015 Bromeliad Tree:
- Neoregelia plants make up the tree. The different types include the ‘Donger’, ‘Petra’, ‘Malbec’ and ‘Royal Burgundy’.
- The diameter of the star (a new one this year) is 30 inches.
- The tree takes about 20 hours over three days to build in total.
- The tree measures about 25 feet in height, when complete, including frame, plants and the tip of the star.
- About 2,500 lights adorn the tree.
BUILDING THE TREE
TIME LAPSE VIDEO from The Sarasota Observer