Tillandsias are often called exotics among exotics. Gorgeous and catchy, these beauties in the interior always seem especially original and daring. Despite the difficult maintenance, tillandsias remain one of the most popular plants in the bromeliad family. In addition to spectacular flowering and beautiful foliage, they can boast of a considerable variety. The genus Tillandsia combines both more familiar plants and epiphytes that are completely different from them. And even if it will take a lot of effort to succeed in growing tillandsias, these beauties are worth it.
Tillandsia violet-flowered (Tillandsia ionantha). Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com Anne Elliott
Contents:
Two dissimilar exotic under the same name
In the genus Tillandsia, two groups of plants are combined that are not similar both in appearance and in nature:
- potted, or green tillandsias, which grow in ordinary soil, produce a beautiful rosette of leaves, which serve as an excellent background for spectacular “prickly” inflorescences;
- epiphytic tillandsia, rare, super-capricious, the most attractive feature of which is not flowering, but luxurious foliage.
Moreover, if potted tillandsias are very popular, then epiphytic ones are found only in private collections of experienced flower growers, therefore they are practically unknown to most fans of indoor exotic plants. These are different not only in appearance, but also in the use and the required conditions for growing the plant. Florists often distinguish them according to the simplest feature – the color of the foliage.
Epiphytic silvery tillandsia are known among hobbyists as “gray”, and showy potted – as “green” tillandsia. But it is easy to get confused with such nicknames, because herbaceous tillandsias also have varietal hybrids with a gray color of greenery. In this regard, it is always better to specify exactly the form of growth – epiphytic or potted.
But on the other hand, all Tillandsias, without exception, are rightfully ranked among the exotics, and the exotics are very catchy. In nature, these plants combine into one genus hundreds of different species found in the territories of South and North America. Tillandsia is one of the most representative genera of evergreen herbaceous and epiphytic plants belonging to the Bromeliaceae family. It brings together more than 400 plant species, significantly different in appearance.
Potted, green or herbaceous tillandsias resemble bromeliads more familiar to us. These evergreens form a not very powerful root system and produce a dense, massive rosette of narrow, linear or wedge-shaped, long leaves with pointed tips. Every year after flowering, a large maternal outlet is replaced by an increase – daughter outlets – and gradually dies off. Thus, the plant rejuvenates itself.
The rosette of leaves is so spectacular and dense that it stands out against the background of even indoor competitors similar in type to greenery. From the very center of the rosette, the plant produces a peduncle with a large inflorescence, the shape of which resembles an exotic ear. Bright, variegated, with graphic and “sharp” lines, the spike inflorescence seems to continue the lines of the leaves. The beauty of the inflorescence is given by bracts, hiding almost inconspicuous modest flowers.
The color palette includes the brightest “acrylic” tones – pink, purple, white, yellow, blue, blue, red, orange and cool lilac. The bracts are always colored in pure, luminous tones that make Tillandsia look dazzling.
Atmospheric tillandsia. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com jeeaanne
The best types of green tillandsias:
- Tillandsiya blue (Tillandsia cyanea) – the most popular of the herbaceous species, forming a bizarre rosette of grass-like leaves, the color of which ranges from a reddish base to brown-striped plates. In height, it is limited to 20-30 cm. In summer, a flattened spike with dense, ornamental bracts, which seem to be artificial, grows from the center of the rosette. The flowers bloom gradually, a wave, as it were, rolls along the spike from top to bottom. The bracts are colored lilac or pink, and the short-lived flowers with rhombic, bent petals are blue or blue.
- Linden Tillands (Tillandsia lindenii) – similar to Tillandsia blue, but more graceful beauty. The spike is more rounded, not so flattened, and the bracts are painted only in a pale pink or red color. The flowers of the plant are also blue, the leaves are gramineous, but thinner, collected in relatively loose rosettes.
- Tillandsya Duer (Tillandsia dyeriana) – a species whose inflorescence resembles a yellow autumn leaf of acacia. An elegant and very beautiful plant develops in the form of a rosette of densely spaced tongue-shaped flat and long leaves, as if wrapped around the base of the peduncle. The thin peduncle bears a symmetrical inflorescence with loose, two-row, leaf-shaped oval bracts of orange or red tones.
Tillandsia blue (Tillandsia cyanea). Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com Jose Maria Escolano
ะขะธะปะปะฐะฝะดัะธั ะะธะฝะดะตะฝะฐ (Tillandsia lindenii). Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com Flower Photobook
Tillandsia dyeriana. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com Stefano
Epiphytic tillandsia, also called atmospheric or airy tillandsia, are famous for their foliage. It is not only the most beautiful part of plants, but also performs all the functions usually inherent in roots: through the leaves of tillandsia-epiphytes, they feed and absorb moisture. The roots only serve to anchor on the bark, stone or tree, they are practically invisible.
Among epiphytic tillandsia, there are both plants with a developed stem and stemless species. Outwardly, the leaves of atmospheric tillandsias seem very exotic: threadlike, very thin, almost transparent leaves are densely covered with scales and, together with the same thin shoots, form a uniquely beautiful green lace with a silvery-gray tint.
The best types of atmospheric tillandsia include:
- Thillandsia sniznevidnaya (Tillandsia usneoides) – The most common epiphytic tillandsia, popularly known as “Spanish moss” or “old man’s beard”. It has thin stems reaching several meters in length and filamentous leaves up to 5 cm in length and 0,1 cm in width, which are arranged in two rows. Thanks to the reflective scales that densely cover the leaves and shoots, the greens appear gray or silvery. This tillandsia has no roots at all. And it grows, hanging from the bark, branches, stones like a lace cascade. An amazing feature of the Usneiform Tillandsia is that it does not need to be fixed on a support, it is enough just to hang it so that it can grow downward. This rare lace beauty also blooms, releasing yellowish-lime flowers in summer.
- Tillandsia sticking out (Tillandsia stricta) flaunts with bright greens with a rich color and resembles blades of grass. This epiphyte forms a dense rosette of narrowly triangular leaves covered with gray scales, up to 20 cm long and no more than 1 cm wide. Short, curved peduncles are crowned with a dense spike of inflorescences with spirally oval watercolor-pink bracts and bluish or purple petals of ordinary-looking flowers.
- Tillandsia tricolor (Tillandsia tricolor) is a compact epiphyte with similar, but more linear, green-gray leaves, forming a very open rosette. Straight and long peduncles, either in the form of a simple spike, or from several ears, are distinguished by long bracts, red at the bottom of the inflorescences, yellow in the middle and light green at the top, hiding purple flowers.
- Other than filiform or hair-like amazing tillandsia silvery (Tillandsia argentea) cannot be named. This epiphyte has narrow, widening to the base, long leaf blades, bending in a spiral or bizarrely curved, a kind of bundle growing from the base of the stems. It is rather difficult to unravel in this miracle a living plant, and not a dried cereal.
- A similar effect is exerted by tillandsia sitnik (Tillandsia juncea) is an epiphyte with reedy, thin leaves resembling cereals and collected in peculiar panicles, which together create an airy, but very bushy rosette.
- Tillandsia violet-flowered (Tillandsia ionantha) – an epiphyte that resembles exotic corals. It forms miniature rosettes of curved, thin-claw-like leaves with a green-silver color, above which spike-shaped bluish-purple inflorescences appear. During flowering, the upper leaves in the rosettes turn red and themselves seem to be part of a fancy flower.
- Tillandsia “Medusa’s head” (Tillandsia caput-medusae) is an epiphyte that looks most similar to octopuses, jellyfish or squid. The leaves are tightly closed and form a kind of base-bulb, bending to the side only at the top, forming bizarre outlines with juicy light gray leaves sticking out in different directions. In the “onion” moisture accumulates, beautifully flowing down from the leaf blades. This epiphyte is capable of flowering, produces an unusual panicle of three to five “spikelets” with red granular bracts and violet-blue narrow-tubular flowers, beautifully contrasting with them.
Tillandsia usneoides (Tillandsia usneoides). Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com Maja Dumat
Tillandsia sticking out (Tillandsia stricta). Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com claudinodebarba
Tillandsia tricolor (Tillandsia tricolor). Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com supple1957
Tillandsia care at home
Potted tillandsias are gorgeous accents that are used in modern interiors as bright touches and color accents. It is easier to grow them in greenhouses, terrariums, indoor greenhouses and florariums, but with scrupulous care they grow well in ordinary rooms. These are extremely light-loving plants that need constant care, but not too difficult to recreate conditions.
Epiphytic species in everything depend on air humidity and the quality of foliar feeding. Since they feed precisely through the leaves, plant care is very unusual and differs from standard procedures – from secluded lighting to high humidity. Despite this specificity, they can be grown not only in flower display cases, but also introduced into interiors, in particular, in the design of bathrooms, in which conditions of increased importance are already met.
Beautiful aquariums, florariums, glass vases, flower display cases help to use this plant anywhere. The bark, pieces of wood or stones on which such tillandsias are attached look great in themselves, and with an unusual plant they make up a surprisingly catchy decoration, a whimsical pride of the collection.
Lighting for tillandsias
Individual groups of tillandsias differ significantly not only in appearance, but also in preferences for lighting. If potted tillandsia are very light-loving crops, not tolerating even a slight partial shade, then epiphytic ones, on the contrary, are shade-tolerant.
Potted species are provided with the brightest possible lighting, but protected from direct sunlight at any time of the year. The same level of illumination must be maintained all year round, compensating for the seasonal reduction either by rearrangement or by artificial supplementary lighting. Potted tillandsias love natural rather than artificial light and do well on southern, eastern and western windowsills.
Epiphytic tillandsia are not only shade-tolerant, but also shade-loving. Any partial shade and shadow will suit them, they can be safely placed even in the depths of the interior, far from windows. They respond better to artificial lighting than potted species and can grow in full artificial lighting.
Tillandsia silvery (Tillandsia argentea). Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com brainydays
Tillandsia juncea. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com ciaomo
Tillandsia violet-flowered (Tillandsia ionantha). Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com James Ho
Comfortable temperature
All tillandsias love a stable growing environment, do not react too well to sudden changes in air and substrate temperature. These plants are rightfully ranked among the thermophilic exotics: the most active growth of tillandsia is demonstrated at a stable room temperature above 18 degrees. Potted beauties prefer a temperature of at least 18 degrees, lowering to 16 degrees of heat can greatly harm plants. But epiphytes are more hardy, they put up with a short-term drop in indicators to 12 degrees.
Despite the status of a greenhouse plant, tillandsia are big lovers of ventilation and fresh air. Constant, better daily airing is one of the most important “secrets” in growing them. These exotics should not only regularly get access to fresh air, but also enjoy its freely circulating streams (you should not expose plants in “corners”, near walls or glass, in close quarters with other plants). But just because Tillandsias are not afraid of drafts does not mean that they will put up with any winds.
They cannot stand cold, and even more so ice drafts, as well as other indoor crops. It is advisable that the stable air temperature in the room is not disturbed during ventilation. Both potted and epiphytic tillandsias can be safely moved to fresh air in summer (the only condition is to keep the level of illumination unchanged). Despite the love for moisture, it is necessary to place them under the open sky with full protection from precipitation: cold rains can be detrimental to plants.
Tillandsia “Medusa’s head” (Tillandsia caput-medusae). Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com kevin jones
Watering and air humidity
Classic watering is carried out exclusively for pot tillandsias. In epiphytes, they are replaced by spraying, and the significance of this procedure can hardly be overestimated. However, herbaceous tillandsias require a standard approach to procedures: the soil for these plants should always remain slightly moist, but strong moisture and complete drying of the earthy coma should be avoided during the active season from spring to summer. Watering should be moderate and careful, constantly monitored by the degree of drying out of the substrate.
In winter, watering is rarely carried out, allowing the substrate to dry completely before each next procedure. It is very easy to control whether the irrigation regime is comfortable for the plant: if there are signs of a lack of moisture, tillandsia gradually curl the leaves, which indicates the need for abundant watering.
Watering itself is not quite usual: pouring water onto the substrate, as for ordinary plants, is not worth it. Tillandsia is watered inside the rosette and slightly moistened with all the leaves. If the plant does not have enough moisture and the leaves curl, then instead of the usual procedure, it is better to feed the earthen coma by immersing the pots with the plant in water overnight, and then letting the moisture drain freely.
Air humidity is a vital indicator for these plants. But if potted tillandsia can put up with a decrease in indicators to 60%, then for epiphytic tillandsia the minimum allowable humidity is 80%. It is not in vain that they deserve their title of atmospheric plants: in dry conditions, they simply die. It is better to maintain high air humidity by combining the operation of humidifiers (or their artisanal counterparts) with frequent spraying.
For epiphytic plants, the greens are intensively moistened in order to completely replace watering by spraying (procedures are carried out daily, preferably in the morning). If the temperature drops below 15-16 degrees, spraying cannot be carried out, as well as during the flowering period. For usneiform tillandsia, in addition to spraying, immersion of the entire plant in water is also used to saturate it with moisture (no more than once every 1 weeks).
Water for any type of tillandsia is selected very carefully: it must be soft and always warm (at least 5 degrees warmer than the air temperature for potted plants and the same as the air temperature for epiphytic plants).
Tillandsia silver in the interior. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com Tillandsias
Top dressing for tillandsia
This is a unique plant that does not like conventional root dressing: fertilizer for all tillandsias is best applied foliarly, sprinkling over the leaves. Potted tillandsias can be fed in the usual way, but this approach is fraught with too high a risk of infection due to watering inside the outlet. And the fact that it is the leaves of plants that absorb fertilizers better indicates the need to use foliar spraying.
For tillandsias, either special fertilizers for orchids or complex fertilizers for flowering plants are used. The dosage needs to be adjusted: the amount of fertilizers indicated by the manufacturer for potted tillandsias is halved, and for epiphytic ones – four times. A growth promoter can also be used to stimulate flowering in potted plants by spraying it on the plant for 1 to 2 months.
Both epiphytic and potted tillandsias are fed every two weeks only in spring and summer (for epiphytes, top dressing in winter can be destructive, for potted ones, it will cause a lack of flowering next year).
Tillandsia in the florarium. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com Tillandsias
Tillandsia transplant, containers and substrate
For tillandsias, only containers whose width is greater than the height are suitable. Plants develop specifically, growth and daughter rosettes replace the maternal ones, and growth occurs mainly in width. The root system of tillandsia is powerful, but not bulky, and in deep containers the plant can suffer from waterlogging and disturbance of comfortable conditions.
The substrate for these plants is chosen from among loose, drained soil mixtures with a coarse fiber texture. For tillandsias, special soil mixtures for bromeliads or orchids are ideal, but you can also compose the soil yourself on the basis of equal parts of deciduous soil, humus and peat with additions of sphagnum, fern roots and pine bark.
Transplantation for epiphytic species is not carried out at all (they are sold fixed on a stone, bark or tree and grown on the same basis without changing), and for potted species it is carried out only after the volume of bushes completely fills the free space (the plant grows in breadth to the walls of the pot and roots will begin to peek out of the water drain holes). Potted tillandsia can remain in one container for 2-3 years, during which it is only necessary to replace the top layer of soil in early spring every year.
If a transplant is needed, the plant is taken out very carefully, carefully replacing the soil, trying not to injure even the smallest roots. The rhizome does not hold the tillandsia well in a loose substrate, therefore it is necessary to compact, apply the soil, paying attention to imparting stability to the rosette of leaves.
Tillandsia blue (Tillandsia cyanea). Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com Anita Sheffield
Diseases and pests of tillandsia
Almost no typical indoor pests are scary for tillandsias. But they suffer very often from the bromelium scale, and serious lesions are possible on any type of tillandsia. You can fight this specific pest only by washing the plants with soapy water and removing the scutes from the leaves, which is not always possible in fragile epiphytic species.
Diseases threaten tillandsia in any violation of the conditions of detention. Rot and various viral infections are especially dangerous, and it is not enough to fight them with fungicides: the damaged parts of the plants will have to be cut out.
Common growing problems:
- rolling leaves when dehydrated;
- decay of the base of the outlet when fertilizing with water for irrigation.
Tillandsia sticking out (Tillandsia stricta). Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com Soul Train
Reproduction of tillandsia
Epiphytic plants reproduce only vegetatively. Shoots with leaves can be cut off from adult mother bushes and tied to the usual base – bark, branch or stones. With an air humidity of 80% or more, the shoots will quickly gain a foothold on a new base and start growing. You can cut off branches of any size.
Potted plants can be propagated both by seed and vegetatively.
Due to the fact that Tillandsia forms several young plants annually to replace the faded rosette, it is possible to constantly obtain new rosettes capable of flowering, simply by separating them during transplantation. True, there is no need to rush to the division: only those “children” whose size is at least half of the mother’s outlet can be separated. Too weak sockets will not take root on their own. The optimal time for vegetative propagation is spring or summer.
The seeds of the plant germinate well, under normal conditions in a nutrient substrate and under glass, they germinate quickly in bright light. But germination of seedlings requires patience: young tillandsia grow extremely slowly, and the ability to bloom will acquire only 10 years after sowing.
