Plants With Brown Spikes That Come Off of Trees

Leatherleaf Airplant

• Also called soft-leaved wild pine, the leatherleaf airplant is found attached to trees growing in Florida's swampland. It can get up to 20 inches tall. Its silvery leaves are sometimes tinged with pink. Its flower spikes are reddish-brown and bloom with white and violet flowers in the spring and fall.

Northern Needleleaf

• Older leaves of the northern needleleaf curl backward and interlock, forming a ball at the base of the plant. This plant grows to about 28 inches tall with rough gray leaves that occasionally feature a red tint. Its flower spikes are upright and bright red to brown, forming violet blooms in the spring. The northern needleleaf is native to Florida and can be found in cypress swamps and pine woods.

Bartram's Airplant

• Common in Florida's pine forests, Bartram's airplant grows in clusters. The plant reaches between 4 and 12 inches in height and features flower spikes that extend up to 18 inches in length. Its spikes are pink to reddish-brown and bloom with violet flowers. The leaves are thin, rough and silver. Bartram's airplant blooms in early spring and into the summer.

Broad Needleleaf

• Found only in Florida, the broad needleleaf grows best in swamplands with bright sunlight. The plant grows between 8 and 16 inches tall, singly or in clusters. Its leaves are gray, pointed and rough. The flower spikes are reddish-brown and bloom with five to 30 violet flowers in spring and summer.