Companion plants

[Paphluvr]

I'm sure most of you grow things other than orchids.

This is a Tillansia that I grow on the windowsill. I believe it was a hybrid, but I've lost the tag. It looks similar to T. cyanea but has a tri-lobed bract.

This is the first flower this year.

[WhiteRabbit]

Gorgeous!

[Paul]

T. cyanea was the first thing that popped into mind! Now if only I could convince mine to spike.

[RandomGemini]

That's gorgeous!

[Paphluvr]

Originally Posted by Paul

T. cyanea was the first thing that popped into mind! Now if only I could convince mine to spike.

It's grown in a south-west facing window so it doesn't get bright light until late afternoon. It's growing in a mixture of tree fern, silica sand and peat moss. Kind of gets watered when I think of it, fertilized infrequently with fish emulsion. I gave a group of them the apple treatment last year (ethylene gas). I don't know if that helped but it couldn't hurt.

[Paul]

Yeah, gave mine the apple treatment not quite a month ago. Waiting to see if it will do the trick.

[My Green Pets]

Do these rebloom? I have an (forgive my spelling) achaema fasciata that bloomed, produced a ton of pups, then they all bloomed, then nothing for two or three years. Will that be all from them?

[MrHappyRotter]

Tillandsias make great companion plants for orchids. I've got a dozen or so different species, cyanea included. Cyanea is a nice one for sure, not too large of a plant, but proportionally large spikes, and it's easy to acquire. The flowers, they smell like clove. When it blooms in the summer, the fragrance is much stronger.

Also, just for your records, your plant is T. cyanea 'Triflor'. Triflor is a specific cultivar of cyanea, but it's still a species.

There actually aren't a lot of common cyanea hybrids in my experience. The only one I see with any regularity is Tillandsia Creation -- it's absolutely astounding.

[NYCorchidman]

I love that plant!
It looks so different and how the purple flowers come out of that stiff pink structure (don't know the name) always fascinates me!

I buy this plant a lot but never kept it for long. lol

I don't remember every sensing fragrance though. interesting. next time I'll have to pay more attention.

[Wild Orchid]

Originally Posted by CambriaWhat

Do these rebloom? I have an (forgive my spelling) achaema fasciata that bloomed, produced a ton of pups, then they all bloomed, then nothing for two or three years. Will that be all from them?

Unfortunately, no, they won't. Bromeliads bloom only once and then die, but they produce pups that repeat the cycle.
How to care for your tillandsia aka Tilly, Airplant, or Air Plant