Tell me about Tillandsia

[TundraKev]

These things intrigue me since I saw Gin's picture of one in bloom. I know nothing about them - NOTHING. I'm not sure if I want to get into any other plants at the present, but I still think these are kind of cool.

So, why should I try these?
Are they really slow growers? I don't like things that grow as slow as cactus.
Could I just tuck a few in amongst my orchids?
Would they take up much space?
I think these are the things I see at a lot of checkout counters in various stores. You know, those little plants glued to the seashells? If I bought one of those would it actually grow? I would take it off the shell. Those are really gross.

I think that's good for a start.

Skit

[Gin]

Hi Skit ,
The Tills. are slow growing but don't require much of anything . Mine is mounted/ sitting on the cactus skeleton with the Mini. orchids it gets watered when they do , I have another one that is in the green house sitting on a wire rack they really don't have any roots . It has not bloomed .
The one in the picture was one of the checkout plants ,Stuck to a super gross hot pink lizard . I would not buy one from there they usually die . There are places on line that sell them e bay for one . You can hang them up and pretty much water and forget them , They do like bright conditions ,this one gets direct am . in an east window . Speaking of Cactus I have 3 in bloom and a split rock Gin

[mde]

So, I just discovered I can't reply to a posting because I'm not an official member of the club. Very snooty I hear, these clubs. So I guess I'd better join, ay? so I can post this where it's supposed to go. I wouldn't think I could read the threads if I can't post, but it must be a recruitment tactic?
At any rate, Kev was asking about Tillandsia, and here is a pic. of mine. Needs good light to bloom, can take some full sun if put outdoors. I have mine just sitting at an angle in a pot, with a small amount of densely packed sphag. down underneath it. I don't water it directly, just soak the sphag. when it dries out. They recommend if you mount it, to do so at an angle to allow water runoff if it gets wet. These are technically bromeliads. They are 100% "air plants". Mine is a Tillandsia bulbosa and I've only had mine a few months, but it is just spiking (see photos, one is bare root, the other of it sitting bare root over the sphag in a hanging pot). These are very cool plants. If you have good humidity, you can pretty much not pay any attention to them, provided there is good light.

Matt

[bench72]

Kewl stuff Matt,

This is exactly what i mean, these things are, like, so kewl... I mean just growing out of nothing, well air and general humidity.

The flowers too on some species are spectacular, as well as long lasting.

Anyhoo.. better not post too much here or else no one will go and join the Brom and Fern club

Cheers
T

[LJA]

Don't mind me; I just moved this thread fragment in, since Matt's officially an official Brom and Ferner now.

[bench72]

Whew, thanks for doing the hard work on this one Gin

"I'm not sure if I want to get into any other plants at the present" Are you scared Skit??? You know you want to!

"Could I just tuck a few in amongst my orchids?" You can get all sorts of Tillandsias as well, there are minis, which would tuck in quite nicely between the orchids and there are those that you can just drape over any old space, e.g Tillandsia usneoides. So choose wisely White Feather...

"I think these are the things I see at a lot of checkout counters in various stores. You know, those little plants glued to the seashells?" I am afraid that them's the ones... however, you can remove them from those mounts and remount them. Here's a link to a "How To Mount Your Tillandsias"

"So, why should I try these?" Coz they are kewl! and pretty and easy to look after and blah blah blah..

Cheers
Tim

[TundraKev]

Matt - very nice, thanks for all the info and pictures.

Tim - you're a good sales person. I think I'll start out with just one little one.

[sake of silence]

My other obsession...

I have quite a few hybrids and species.
T. usenoides v. (I forgot but its supposed to be rare and it has larger flowers, supposably extinct)
T. juncea
T. ionantha
T. ionantha v. superclump
T. argentia
T. aeranthos
T. leonomania
T. xerographica
T. streptophylla (sp)
+ couple other hybrids I have had for a very long time.

Mine dont grow slow. Faster than my pachypodium at least. I have them outdoors and they grow pretty well, Im alsways skeptical of cold nights, like tonight, I better bring them in!

[sake of silence]

Neither of which do I have any longer

[Tindomul1of9]

Cool thread.

I would like to get a big piece of driftwood, or knotwood or something about 3 feet tall and that has lots of little crevises and the like.
Then I would like to mount Tillandsias and orchids all over the wood. Maybe setup some sort of misting system or better yet a drip system. Put it in my eastern facing window, and watch everything frow and flower.
Would Tillandsia ionantha and similar species like to be watered as often as say a mounted Phal would? People mount Phals right ????