Sean Quigley's enthusiasm for bromeliads has led to some inventive turns: He once fashioned a collapsible pole and hook from a butterfly net so he could pluck the unusual plants from cliff faces and rocky overhangs, and he's ridden on top of trains on the lookout for species to add to his collection.
He's been collecting them for about 14 years, has traveled to Ecuador, Guatemala and Mexico to gather specimens, and sells bromeliads alongside other plants and curiosities at Paxton Gate, his home-and-garden store on Valencia Street in San Francisco.
Bromeliads are collected by enthusiasts around the world, just as orchids are gathered by dedicated devotees, and they have recently caught the eye of home gardeners because they demand little water and are otherwise easy to care for.
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