Tillandsia cyanea

[gngrhill]

Hi all.....I just purchased this bromeliad last week. It had a large pink fan with small purple flowers on it. The purple flowers have now wilted and fallen off. The large pink fan is now kind of pale green. I don't know what to expect next or what to do with it. Any help out there ?

[MrHappyRotter]

Simple answer, set it in a bright location protected from full sun, keep it in a humid spot, and water regularly. In the next year or so, the currently blooming growth will die. It will produce pups (side growths), which will then bloom when they're full grown.

These guys bloom for a period of weeks to months on a spike, so it may not be done blooming yet. Just because the paddle turned green does not necessarily mean it's done blooming. To maintain that bright pink color, the plant does need to be kept in fairly bright light. When it's grown too shady, the paddle may turn green on one or both sides.

[gngrhill]

Originally Posted by MrHappyRotter

Simple answer, set it in a bright location protected from full sun, keep it in a humid spot, and water regularly. In the next year or so, the currently blooming growth will die. It will produce pups (side growths), which will then bloom when they're full grown.

These guys bloom for a period of weeks to months on a spike, so it may not be done blooming yet. Just because the paddle turned green does not necessarily mean it's done blooming. To maintain that bright pink color, the plant does need to be kept in fairly bright light. When it's grown too shady, the paddle may turn green on one or both sides.

Thanks so much. That helps immensely.

[wintergirl]

I have one of these too. I never water the base or the paddle, I only mist the leaves with distilled water every AM. About once a month I mist with a special tillandsia fertilizer after first wetting the leaves.

My plant has 2 pups, which are getting pretty big now. My paddles turned from pink to green and dried. Which is normal for them to do. I eventually pulled the dried paddles up. My plant is setting in dried spagh moss but it never gets wet and I didn't re-pot.

The plants get water from the leaves so keep the base dry.

[estación seca]

Most bromeliads are very sensitive to copper, so be careful to use fertilizer with no copper. I have read you should even avoid rain water that ran down a copper or brass spout.

Pineapples are not sensitive to copper so any fertilizer is fine.

[gngrhill]

Thank you all for your help. Like I don't have enough to figure out with all the orchids I have to try something new and totally foreign

[wintergirl]

Originally Posted by gngrhill

Thank you all for your help. Like I don't have enough to figure out with all the orchids I have to try something new and totally foreign

They are very easy to take care of, easier than orchids in my opinion.

[Tindomul]

I stuck one in my terrarium ten years ago. It barely fits, but its currently throwing out an inflorescence. These are so easy to take care of in low light and ok humidity.