Tillandsia argentina
 

This is the first time ever where I actually bloomed a bromeliad out.

Tillandsia argentina is one of the more unusual Tillandsias in that it has magenta colored flowers. Whereas most of the Tillandsia species have blue-violet flowers.

I apologize for the front-most flower not photographing well, I was in a hurry.

What a pretty one. I don't know much about bromeliads, except they allways seem to have very pretty flowers.

Very sweet- great job Philip!

Do these guys like to grow pretty dry?

Thanks, Rosie. Bromeliads are really easy once you know a few things about them. Pretty hardy too. I sometimes let them go and they still perform well. Great plant for a person with a busy lifestyle.

Thanks, Izzie.

They grow in semi-arid deserts. The air doesn't have to be terribly humid, but some humidity is good.

These really don't like to be watered too much. For you I think 3 times a week is good enough, maybe even 4 times a week at the most, during the spring and summer months. During the fall and winter you can cut back the watering to 1 or 2 times a week.

Bright light is essential. Sometimes, they grow on exposed cliff faces or on short scrubby trees.

Tillandsia xerographica is the ultimate xerophyte. This one detests too much water. It grows much like a cacti (as far as watering is concerned). In fact, if I'm not mistaken, Tillandsia xerographica grows right on top of cacti. This species is spectacular with green tubular flowers. You should check this one out too!

I love Tillandsias, I started growing Tillandsias before I started growing orchids. At first, (and for the longest time), I had a hard time growing them. Then, I understood where each one comes from, and that changed everything.

I have a couple different kinds growing on my croton's and they grow like weeds. Started with a couple and now I have thousands, but I really like that one. I will have to look for it and I think it will do well here. Thanks

That really is a nice one. Not too long ago I thought very little of bromeliads but it seems after I made a comment to someone about my dislike for them all of a sudden I got to see a lot more and now I like them. I even have 2 or 3 wait... I have about 7. Oh NO!!!

Cool. What kind are they do you know?

Thank you.

The flowers of Tillandsias themselves are not very impressive.

I buy them for the unusual growth of the foliage, intense colors, and the beautiful flower bracts.

As a whole, each species of Tillandsia are awesomely wild!

The one that caught my eye was Tillandsia stricta. After that I was hooked.

Tillandsias in my opinion are very well adapted to epiphytical and lithophytical lifestyles and are very efficient at living it. Their flowers don't have the need to decieve the pollinator, so their flowers are not quite as complex.

Well done!

Philip, mine are the kind that just seem to be all over the oak trees down here, when they fall off I usually pick them up and place them somewhere back on the tree. I have gotten a few and placed them around my yard. The pretty fancy ones you buy at the store, I only have one, which I bought at a flea market for 5 bucks. The point is I like the whole plant not just the flower.

I have the common Ball Mass growing wild on my italian cypress. Don't know how they got there, and sometimes I have to clear them out before they take over the tree. And yeah, I've been guilty of throwing them away.

I also have a few non-native species I picked up down in the Redlands off a roadside vendor.

This one bloomed last december...
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...ants/tilli.jpg