Tillandsia Cyanea in Bloom

[Fuerte Rav]

Originally Posted by estación seca

It's been moved from genus Tillandsia to Wallisia.

Thanks for the help ES. I guess I need to call it Wally now rather than Tilly, when I'm talking to it!

[Itazura]

Originally Posted by Fuerte Rav

Thanks for the help ES. I guess I need to call it Wally now rather than Tilly, when I'm talking to it!

Actually, I've been calling mine Tilly so long it'll be strange to call it anything else. But at least I have the right name for it now.

Humid and warm conditions.... that does not bode well for Tilly. Then again, it's been doing okay in the dorm room as far as I can tell. I mist it every day, and here's a new pup growing right in the center of the old plant. Maybe it'll make it through the winter.

[Itazura]

Not only has it survived, it looks like we have another inflorescence in development. And much sooner than I expected, too. I read online that it takes about three to four years to rebloom.

[WaterWitchin]

That's a gorgeous bloom! If it's accurate that it takes four or five years to rebloom, I'd still keep it around. Small plant, doesn't take up much space. You've made me curious... now I want to know why it blooms so seldome. Any insight there Estación?

[estación seca]

I'm not too familiar with growing it because I don't have anywhere near the conditions it likes. (Translation: I've killed it quickly several times.) I suspect it grows a lot faster when conditions are right. They wouldn't be able to make money on something that small and inexpensive if it takes 5 years to flower.

They make only one new growth from the old rosette, after flowering, which is different from most bromeliads. Thus they are propagated by seed. Probably they could be propagated by meristem, the way pineapples are commercially, but I don't know that for sure.

Many bromeliads are triggered to flower by ethylene gas, a well-known plant hormone. Perhaps flowering is induced earlier than five years, once the plant is large enough to support a flower. People in homes could mimic this by putting the plant into a bag for a while with a ripening apple.

[Itazura]

I'm happy to report we have a lot of inflorescence growth since I last posted, and the first of the flowers opened up this morning:

[estación seca]

Now you need to write a book!