Tillandsia House Air Plants Lichens

[estación seca]

I think it's possible your plant offsetting from the flower stem could be the species T. intermedia. The plant bodies tend to be quite thin and elongated.

[DirtyCoconuts]

cool, ES, thanks!

i am thinking it is after looking at more examples

[kg5]

Tillandsia caput medusae.

Had a lot of trouble with this plant when I start growing Tillandsia but since I started to grow them hanging upside down it stops that rot taking a hold. Having the leaf bases not ponding water when in the plant is hang upside down stops the rot. Simple as that.

Will do some more images of other bulbous type of Tillandsia that we treat the same way growing Tillandsia upside down to stop rot before it happens.

Image: Tillandsia caput medusae



Another image of T. caput medusae

[DirtyCoconuts]

Kg5
Great Medusa’s and good tip about the inverted mount


What do you use to fertilize them?

[estación seca]

A lot of the bulbous-based species grow horizontally or downward in nature. Some have tight bases, but others have large open spaces at the bases of the leaves that could function as water reservoirs. In nature their horizontal growth keeps water from accumulating in these spaces; ants often live there, presumably providing protection and fertilizer.

In cultivation, if water stays in these spaces too long, the plants may rot. Some plants like this are T. caputmedusae, ehlersiana, mitlaensis, seleriana.

A good resource for Tillandsia and other bromeliad information, including photos of a huge number of species, is the Bromeliad Encyclopedia of the Florida Council of Bromeliad Societies.

[kg5]

Thank you for the comment & link estación seca.

Hope you are finding some nice replacement plants to make up for what those rats did. It sounds like it was worse than the fire that was too near my Tillandsia.

[kg5]

More Tillandsia that like to be hung upside down to stop rot from taking hold. It stops the water ponding at their leaf bases.

Tillandsia butzii



Tillandsia bulbosa ( largest plant in flower nice clump)

[DirtyCoconuts]

Well I just mounted a bulbosa and now I have to go and rotate it!
Thanks for the tip!

[kg5]

A recent Tillandsia find that is very rare apparently. Managed to get 3 plants. T. stellifera is native to Peru, and grows on rock faces on elevations to 3,000 m where snow covered mountains can be clearly seen close by.
It is easy to grow Tillandsia when it has good ventilation and moderate to bright light. Needs to dry out between waterings big time.

Tillandsia stellifera

[estación seca]

At 3000 meters it would get quite cold every night of the year, but would never experience frost. Warm nights would likely be a serious problem with a plant from that elevation.