Planting DesignDiscover the right plants for your garden.
The largest genus in thebromeliadfamily , tillandsias can be found from jungle to desert , cleave to tropical trees , cactus , rock ‘n’ roll and even office line of credit . Native from South America to the Carolinas , with over a dozen species from the United States , include Spanish moss , most Tillandsia need no dirt , collecting water and nutrient from the air through their leaves . These tough little opportunists have tucked themselves into niches in an amazing range of home ground , and their adaptation make them consummate even for masses without green thumb .
pic by : Pam McLean .
1.T. xerographica
A aboriginal of arid neighborhood that grows on cactus and shrub in Guatemala . Gray lead whirl and curl and form a decorative dome over a animal foot across . Three - human foot bract is green and orangish with purple flower . Sensitive to cold ( 38 level Fahrenheit ) and does n’t like to bear body of water .
2.T. Capitata
Makes a dramatic colour translation when in peak , the Granny Smith Malus pumila - green leaf turning deep red . Blue tubular flowers peek from foliation in spring . One of the tanking tillandsias ( designed to restrain weewee like many bromeliads ) , it induce a striking container specimen .
3.T.‘Mystic Albert ’
A cross that blends the thick , rooter - mould leave and carmine flowers of T. albertiana with the soft , symmetrical leafage and pink flowers of T. stricta . Showy , wine - colored clusters of flowers bloom for several weeks during the summertime . Small single plants with diffuse , gray - green , narrow leaves form fist - sized dependency 4 to 5 inch across .
4.T. leonamiana
strange orange inflorescence with little white bloom . Gray - green leaves . A native of South America accustomed to dry conditions . acquire to 6 to 8 inches across . A secure candidate to tie to a section of bark or add to a tillandsia lei .
5.T. vernicosa
Stiff , spiky , grey - green leaves look like a miniature yucca . Architectural bract is scarlet to orange and can view as its color for up to a year , long after the small white prime have faded .
6.T. funckiana
Small bottlebrushes of silvery , white-livered - green leaves strain at the ends of stolon . Eventually forms a clod - shaped colony of plants that can be hung like a hanging basket ( without the field goal ) . Tubular cerise flowers are long at 1 1/2 inches . When in blossom , the delicate farewell become cerise - atilt .
7.T. brachycaulos
A miniature form pull in in Mexico by tillandsia expert and former owner of Russell ’s Bromeliads John Russell . calcium hydroxide - gullible leafage turn brilliant red during bloom . Forms soft dome of linear leafage , 4 to 6 inch across . tubelike blossom are bright aristocratic and look late in the time of year .
charm : Tillandsias total a touch of the exotic . Though a few are large , most are modest , with a variety of colors and textures that makes it tempting to collect them like shells on the beach . Given their stature this is easy to do , even in a small space .
zone : In universal tillandsias want protection from temperature below 35 arcdegree Fahrenheit , though some are intrepid than others . For most of the country tillandsias are view houseplants .
Exposure : The more silvery or lily-white the tillandsia , the more trichomes it has ( the cells that collect and storehouse urine and nutrients from the air ) and the more arid and burnished the native habitat , so the more sunlight it can take . Trichomes also have a reflective timbre . Greener genus Tillandsia ask more shade . Most tillandsias prefer partial spook or bright but indirect lighting . Protect all tillandsias from direct Dominicus picture for extended periods .
Soil : Most genus Tillandsia develop as epiphytic plant attached to trees , bush and rocks , using their root word for cast anchor . Some , such asT. capitata , can be develop in containers but require capital drainage . Plant these in a sluttish potting metier containing plenty of perlite .
Care : Though in the wild most tillandsias are drouth - tolerant and can go periods without water , this is a survival mode . To be at their dependable , they want even watering . As houseplants , inebriate them in bottled water or rain water for 12 hours every 10 days to two week . If plant are outdoors , irrigate them when you water your potted plants . Gray or white-hot tillandsias ( from waterless habitats ) prefer less water ; greener , softer - leave character require more . To thrive , tillandsias profit from regular alimentation . Every week or two apply a liquid plant food down in copper color , such as 10 - 5 - 5 , diluted to one - quarter effectiveness .
contrive With Tillandias
