Tillandsia House Air Plants Lichens

[kg5]

When you shared info about the temp on some of these 1,000m to 3,000m + mountains where this or that Tillandsia comes from made me think along those lines always.

Have been very happy to follow this on line Tillandsia catalogue called" A resource by Lloyd Godman" And it has been good to me when checking it this or that plant suits my climate.

With this plant it is written up with this info from Lloyd Godman"Cultivation: It is an easy plant to grow when it has good air movement and moderate to bright light. Responds to light misting, but needs to dry out between waterings.

So with that info I just purchsed 3 only to see if they like their new home. Other referance talk about how simialar they are to T. tectorums

Again info comes from Lloyd Godman.

"Cultivation: Tectorums get by with just the barest of moisture in nature. The reason they are so heavily scaled (white trichomes) is because they grow at such a high and dry altitudes. This covering protects against extreme ultra-violet light (we're talking HIGH up!) and picks up what little condensation from fog they can. For this reason they can go weeks, months, without a good dose of water."

With this info I will not purchase these plants. But there is someone that lives very close by and they sell this plant. That is all I know about them and I do not know how they grow their plants.

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[kg5]

Tillandsia duratii

Find this an interesting plant and grows very well here. The old leaves curl up at the base of the plant with a long growing leaf spike out front. Interesting shape.

There is a lot of varieties and other Tillandsia that look the same T. duratii. Am still learning about this group. It is definitely another area of interest to me.

Have purchased my plants from 2 different sellers. One sent me a very dark grey colour to the plant. The other seller purchased plants arrived yellow. So is the yellow plants another Tillandsia all together or does it have a different coloured plants like grey & yellow? As the yellow plants are growing they are becoming more of a grey colour.

T. duratii (grey)



T. duratii (yellow)



T. duratii both grey and yellow plants.

[wisdomseeker]

First photo is definitely a T. duratii. Usually grey or silver in color, along with the form (plant shape/structure) being the same as in your photo. Leaves get curly when not hydrated.

There is also a thick leaf form that is popular within the USA, along with another variety known as T. duratii var. saxatilis (blooms are a bit different, more spread out with the saxatilis variety).

You often hear about T. xerographica being the king of tillies. But a fully grown, mature, duratii is in the 'crowns' running (truly stunning). A very hardy plant that is long-lived and rewards growers with very fragrant flowers.

Really don't know what the second photo is (with any certainty). Could be a duratii... maybe grown in less than optimum conditions. If it is a duratii ~ definitely looks unhealthy and has very poor form.

[kg5]

Both T. Duratii are growing side by side in a very sweet growing spot. Have 9 of the yellow coloured plants. After looking at these type of plants on line they have the appearance of T. duratii v saxatilis. Will be looking hard at getting some more of these plants. There is a rare yellow flowering variety as well. Always looking for Tillandsia seed!

[DirtyCoconuts]

I just got a delivery of the first Tiilys i have ever purchased (as opposed to found)

Pretty excited. I’ll post about it later once the kid is down

[wisdomseeker]

Originally Posted by kg5

After looking at these type of plants on line they have the appearance of T. duratii v saxatilis.

There is a rare yellow flowering variety as well.

Could very well be the variety saxatilis. My initial thought about your second photo was a T. streptocarpa. But when you are uncertain (especially when plants are young and not in flower), it's hard to say for sure.

You are right, there is a yellow flowering clone of T. duratii var. saxatilis that was developed from some 'wild' multicolored flowering plants collected within an area of Bolivia (flowers ranging in colors from purple, orange, and yellow).

Glad to hear there are still growers like you looking for seed. I know the amount of dedication, time & patience it takes to grow tillies from seed. I gave it up a few years back. This is the last (and only) seed grown tilly I have left in my collection ~ a T. veluntina. It started to blush last week and is now starting to flower.

[Leafmite]

Oh, that is really magnificent!

This is a great thread and I have really been enjoying it!!!!

[kg5]

Hi wisdomseeker

Really don't know what the second photo is (with any certainty). Could be a duratii... maybe grown in less than optimum conditions. If it is a duratii ~ definitely looks unhealthy and has very poor form.

It has taken me bit to understand your comment properly but after looking at your indoor Tillandsia displays that are under lights in your Tillandsia thread. They are totally perfect and I now understand. It is like we are on two different planets when it comes to growing Tillandsia.

Am trying to grow in our natural environment that we live in here. But your plants are at the same temperature all the time and watering is very predicable so your Tillandsia are growing in an environment that is perfect in all ways for them.

The hardest issue for me growing Tillandsia is about getting the watering right, going from hot months to the colder months. A bit of fert could help me a lot here as well.

Some of your Tillandsia that are growing together in your displays for me have to be treated very differently. Your knowledge about Tillandsia is amazing. So glad you shared.

[estación seca]

kg5 - Tillies grow from frost-free extreme southern Arizona (one species, T. recurvata) east through Texas, Louisiana, southern Florida and on south almost to Patagonia. I don't think they grow in New Mexico because that state along the border with Mexico is at high enough elevation severe freezes are regular in winter.

That is an enormous range, with wildly differing habitats and climates. The ones around the Caribbean are warm and humid all year, generally without dry spells for more than a month or two. However, many of those from the central plateau of Mexico get only 4 months or so of summer rain, and are dry and almost dewless for the remainder of the year. Central America again has a lot of different climates: some areas are always rainy, some are not dry for more than a couple of months, but others are like central Mexico. Moving into South America these three types of climates are common.

Along the western coast of South America, vast mats of Tillies like purpurea grow on the sand where it might rain once every 10-15 YEARS. However, they get drenching fogs every night in winter, and summers are cool. So it's important to look up where a plant comes from. I don't believe tectorum goes very long with no dew. No plant with such narrow leaves can tolerate many months of sun with no source of water. I am sure many specimens in habitat have never seen rain but are watered well with dew. A constantly wet and humid climate like southern Florida is difficult for a lot of Tillies, but others love it - like the natives.

[lindasbabies]

I have 3 Tillandsia air plants hat I bought a couple months ago. One is a xerographica. I really enjoy them