Tillandsia atmospherica: planting and care at home, reproduction, photos, diseases

Tillandsia is a large genus of unusual perennial, epiphytic plants, uniting about 650 species from the Bromeliad family.

The genus was first classified by the famous scientist and discoverer Charles Linnaeus back in the 18th century and named after the famous Finnish botanist and doctor of medicine Elias Tillands.

Many scientific articles have been written about tillandsia and many discoveries have been made, but to this day the mysterious plant has not revealed all its secrets.

Description and photo

Atmospheric tillandsia is a prominent representative of the large Bromeliad family. This perennial epiphytic plant parasitizes trees and stones, clinging to them with its tenacious hooked roots. It receives moisture and nutrients from the air, thanks to special scales on the leaves. You can meet tillandsia in the wild in the tropical and subtropical forests of Argentina, Chile, Mexico, as well as in the southern states of the USA.

1. Tillandsia atmospheric is a herbaceous, evergreen plant with aerial roots that do not require soil.
2. Some species have no roots at all; instead, they have small tendrils with hooks with which the flower clings to the support.
3. The shape of leaves and flowers, as well as their color, vary depending on the variety.
4. An individual feature of the plant is the presence of scales on the leaves, into which the flower collects moisture, due to which it receives nutrition.

This herbaceous plant exhibits many physiological and morphological differences. The shape and size of individual species directly correspond to the climate in which they grow in nature, however, all representatives of the genus can be divided into two main groups - desert and tropical.

They differ from each other in the number of trichomes (hairs) located on the plant. The main function of trichomes is to absorb moisture and nutrients from the air, as well as protection from the scorching sun and water evaporation.

In addition to its decorative value, the plant is also used for making wallpaper and packaging materials. Young leaves are used in food as vegetables.

Unlike most exotic plants, many types of crops easily take root at home. The main thing is to choose a suitable place for the culture and maintain high humidity in the room.

How and when does it bloom

Tillandsia atmospherica blooms once at the age of 2-3 years, after which it begins to reproduce, sending out shoots and, having devoted all its strength to it, dies.

The buds of the ear bloom one after another, while the faded buds are not picked, as they look exotic and decorative.

Tillandsia blooms only once in its life and after flowering, baby shoots (usually 1-3) begin to grow at its base. This process can take up to several years.

After its completion, the mother plant begins to slowly die, leaving several growing shoots. Some species, such as Tillandsia Xerographica, can live this way for up to 40 years!

Flowering period

The total duration of flowering can last several months. During the flowering period, you need to monitor air humidity and the condition of the leaves, and carry out regular spraying so that the plant has enough strength to bear offspring.

Home care

Atmospheric tillandsia is a plant that has an unpretentious character. However, in order for a tropical guest to delight with her appearance, she needs care, which consists of regular watering and fertilizing, prevention of diseases and pests. In addition, it is important to provide the plant with a period of rest and maintain a comfortable temperature, lighting and humidity in the room. And then the tillandsia will take root and quickly grow.

Temperature

Atmospheric tillandsia is a heat-loving plant, but it does not tolerate heat. It is advisable to maintain the room temperature within +20...+25 °C from spring to autumn. From November to February, when the tropical beauty begins a dormant period, it is better to move the plant to a cooler room with a temperature of +14...+18 °C.

Lighting

The plant is shade-loving, but still requires sunlight for normal growth. It is especially useful for the rays to fall on tillandsia leaves in the morning and at sunset. Therefore, it is advisable to grow plants near an eastern or western window. In winter, when the sun is not too active, it is worth moving the crop closer to the south side. It’s even better to provide the tillandsias with additional illumination with a phytolamp. In addition, the tropical guest can generally be grown under artificial light. But it is worth considering that daylight hours for her should last at least 14 hours.

Humidity

Like most epiphytes, tillandsia absorbs moisture from the atmosphere with its leaves. Therefore, when growing a tropical beauty, it is important to maintain high humidity in the room, and this figure should not fall below 75%. Of course, it is best to place a special device next to the flower - a humidifier. If it is not there, then spray the foliage of the plant every morning using a water spray bottle. At the same time, cover the peduncle with cellophane so that moisture does not get on it.

In winter, when central heating makes the air in the apartment drier, maintaining optimal humidity is much more difficult. And at this time, you won’t be able to save yourself by spraying alone. Experienced flower growers advise purchasing special florariums for tillandsia for the winter. Others grow the crop in aquariums, vases, or flower displays.

If you do not have such devices, then try to spray the foliage of the crop several times a day using a water spray bottle. Also place containers of water next to the plant and cover the batteries with damp towels.

Spraying is a mandatory daily procedure. The plant receives nutrients only through water falling on its leaves and stems, so the spraying procedure must be carried out every day, and in hot weather - 2 times, morning and evening, feeding the plant and increasing air humidity.

At any time of the year, do not forget that an exotic beauty needs an influx of fresh air. Therefore, do not forget to regularly ventilate the room. But since tillandsia does not tolerate drafts and sudden changes in temperature, take it to another room during this procedure.

Watering

The plant receives most of its moisture through spraying. But still, 1-2 times a week he needs more significant hydration. How to water a plant?

1. To do this, immerse it together with the support in a container with warm water and leave for 20-30 minutes so that it is saturated with life-giving moisture.
2. And then wait until the excess liquid drains and return the flower to its usual place.

Before watering the plant, you should remember that it is better to use rain or melt water for irrigation. In extreme cases, you can use tap water, but before the procedure it must be filtered and left for at least a day.

Watering due to the lack of roots and a pot as such is not required, but if the plant does not have enough humidity in the room and its leaves begin to curl into a spiral, the following should be done:

1. Carefully remove the roots from the base.
2. Fill a basin or other container with water. It is advisable to use melt or rain water, but if this is not available, then use settled tap water at room temperature.
3. Place the air tillandsia in a container and leave for 1-2 hours so that the plant is saturated with moisture.
4. Remove from the basin, let the water drain and return to its permanent place.
5. It is recommended to carry out the described procedure regularly, 1-2 times a month in the summer.
6. During the dormant period, it is better not to touch the plant, limiting it to spraying. Tillandsia atmospheric care at home requires strict control of indoor humidity.

If you notice that the tillandsia leaves have begun to curl along the veins, immediately immerse the flower in a container of water. After all, such a phenomenon is a sign of serious dehydration. In this case, keep the flower in water for 3-4 hours, and only then return it to its usual place.

Top dressing

Tillandsia responds well to fertilizers, but overfeeding the flower is strictly prohibited. In addition, compositions containing nitrogen, copper, boron and zinc cannot be used for these purposes. Also, you should not feed the tropical guest with universal preparations, any growth stimulants, and organic matter in the form of infusions of grass, bird droppings and mullein.

How then should we fertilize the crop? Give preference to fertilizers intended for bromeliads and orchids. But choose solutions that do not contain boron and copper, which are poisonous for tillandsia. And also keep in mind that you need to use only a quarter of the dose indicated on the package.

Apply fertilizers from March to September directly into the flower rosette, combining fertilizing with watering. Do this event once every six weeks. In winter, eliminate fertilizing completely.

Rest period

When providing care for atmospheric tillandsia at home, we must not forget that the plant needs a period of rest. If you grow a tropical beauty near a window, then winter will come by itself. Indeed, during this period the amount of light and heat decreases, and tillandsia goes into hibernation. During this time, be aware of the temperature limits that the plant can withstand.

If you grow a crop in the back of the room, then provide it with additional illumination with a phytolamp.

Transfer

As such, replanting tillandsia is not only not required, but also undesirable. After all, during the event, parts of the plant can be damaged, which will affect its health. Therefore, even if you don’t like the support and want to replace it, it is better not to replant the crop, but wait until it produces babies. And attach them to the new stand.

Soil for tillandsia

Tillandsia does not grow without roots or in soil. At home, the plant is placed on a flower stand, wire support, piece of bark, driftwood or stone. Special designs are available for sale especially for epiphytes:

• ring sawn wood,
• shell,
• decorative stones.

In the natural environment, these tillandsias live on rotted tree bark, so for growing indoors you need to use soil formulated for orchids. If you wish, you can make the soil mixture yourself; for this purpose, combine in equal proportions:

• pieces of coniferous tree bark;
• clay granulate;
• river pebbles;
• coconut fiber.

Bloom

Atmospheric tillandsia blooms once in its life, and this happens when the plant is two or three years old. And after the formation of buds, the tropical guest spends all her energy on the formation of children, and she herself dies. The flowering of tillandsia looks very exotic: the plant produces a spike, on which brightly colored buds open one by one. Each of them does not last long, but the flowering itself can last for several months. In addition, the ear looks very decorative, even after the last bud leaves. Therefore, it is not necessary to cut it out, because over time it will die along with the mother plant.

Caring for tillandsia during and after flowering is no different from usual. It is necessary, as before, to regularly spray and water the flower so that it grows more children. Each specimen produces from 3 to 8 lateral shoots, thanks to which you can create a large collection of these exotic plants.

Spreading

The air plant can be propagated by seeds, which it can produce at the end of its life cycle, but this usually only works if you have several air plants blooming at the same time so that they can pollinate each other.

In addition, there are special requirements for germination as well as for plant survival into adulthood.

Instead, it will be much easier if you skip all this and wait until the cuttings form at the base of the mother plant. You can leave them so that they form a nice clump, or instead, when they are almost a third smaller than the mother plant, you can carefully separate them and treat them as individual plants.

Reproduction of atmospheric tillandsia

If desired, you can grow a large collection of these amazing plants. Moreover, even a beginner can cope with the task. To begin, prepare all the necessary materials.

Plants do not need soil; most often they are attached to bars, driftwood or felt. When creating a composition with a flower, remember that using materials treated with varnish, paint or chemicals is strictly prohibited. After all, the plant will quickly die from contact with them. An ideal option would be a piece of natural tree bark, a fragment of a root or branch, or a small wicker basket. If you plan to hang the stand on the wall, first make a hole in it and thread the wire.

Start propagating atmospheric tillandsia when the babies grow to 5-6 cm in diameter. How to hold an event:

1. Cut the babies from the mother plant with a sharp knife, and be sure to treat the cut areas with crushed coal.
2. Press the tillandsia to the support with the root collar, root inward. It is advisable to place a little sphagnum moss or coconut fibers between the plant and the stand. This will make it easier for the tillandsia to cling to the support.
3. Carefully secure the plant to the stand using soft elastic thread or sheathed wire. To make the composition look impressive, match the threads to the color of the support or tropical beauty.
4. Spray the plant with warm water from a spray bottle and then hang it or place it in a permanent place.

In the future, provide young crops with regular care.

How to replant?

Monocarpic species are replanted only once, after purchase in the store. Polycarpic plants are replanted in the spring, every two to three years. A thick layer of drainage is placed at the bottom of the pot, to which it is advisable to add charcoal.

The plant is carefully removed from the old pot, freeing its roots from the soil, and placed in a new pot. It should be wide and shallow, since the root system of a tropical plant is poorly developed. It is best to take a clay or ceramic container. If you use a plastic pot, then you need to make a lot of holes in it.

Every year in spring, the top layer of the substrate is changed.

Growing problems

If you provide proper care for atmospheric tillandsia at home, then there will be no problems with it. But if you regularly violate the norms of agricultural technology, the tropical guest begins to be capricious. Most often, flower growers face the following problems:

• The leaves of the plant are curled, the tips have dried out and turned yellow. This phenomenon is caused by a lack of watering, too dry air in the room, or the use of hard water. Normalize irrigation and do not forget to spray the crop more often, and it will quickly recover.
• Tillandsia does not produce buds. A plant may refuse to bloom if it lacks light and warmth. Move the crop to another place with more suitable conditions, and if necessary, arrange additional illumination with a phytolamp.
• The base of the socket is rotten. Excessive watering or excess fertilizer leads to a similar phenomenon. In addition, contact with contaminated material can cause rotting. To save the plant, change the support immediately. If you have children, attach them to other stands. Under no circumstances use fungicides to treat the bark, because they will be absorbed into the material and will gradually poison the flower. If you want to disinfect the support, pour boiling water over it or dry it in the oven.

Plant height

The variety available means height and width may vary slightly between plants. However, air plants are generally not large indoor plants, and they probably won't grow much larger than what you have when you first buy them.

Diseases and pests

With proper care, this unpretentious plant practically does not get sick. And in rare cases, it is affected by leaf spotting. This fungal disease can be recognized by the fact that blisters appear on the plant. Over time, they grow and turn into brown spots. Unfortunately, it will not be possible to cure a diseased tillandsia, and the plant will have to be destroyed.

Among the pests, the tropical beauty is often attacked by scale insects. These parasites with a waxy shell stick to the leaves of the crop and take away its juices. It is prohibited to control pests with any insecticides, because the preparations contain a lot of substances that are toxic to the plant. Therefore, insects will have to be destroyed mechanically. Carefully remove the parasites with a wooden spoon or spatula, and then wash each leaf with soap and water.

Are air plants poisonous?

The good news is that tillandsias are not poisonous to people or most pets such as cats and dogs. The bad news is that their unusual appearance can attract playful and curious pets.

Don't let your pets play with them as their delicate size can cause them to be easily damaged.

Tillandsia atmospheric in the interior

Interest in these amazing plants has increased significantly in recent years. Atmospheric tillandsias are versatile in terms of design use. They are so unpretentious in this regard that they can grow on any surface provided the necessary humidity.

The plant below, at the base of the leaf rosette, has a stratum corneum that withstands contact with the glue. Using special silicone, the epiphyte can be glued to any surface, which is often used to create interesting compositions, for example, growing tillandsia upside down.

Growing on a tree

You can also attach the plant to a tree with aluminum wire, wrap it in coconut fiber around the bark, or glue it to a stone, giving the composition a natural look. You can also grow epiphyte in an empty coconut.

Mini-landscapes in glass using colored sand, moss, shells, glass beads, and decorative stones are popular.

Such a composition can consist of one or several plants. Mini-orchids complement tillandsia well in such landscapes.

These amazing epiphytes can also be grown in various types of terrariums or aquariums where the habitat conditions are more controlled.

Lighting for Tillandsia

Light is the most important thing when growing any plant. Tillandsias are no exception.

Direct sunlight should be avoided as it may be harmful. These plants thrive on kitchen or bathroom windowsills that receive indirect light. They also love a humid environment.

Most Tillandsia are naturally exposed to bright light. Since they are epiphytic and grow on other plants or trees. They may get some light, but it should be bright, indirect light.

Tillandsidia is best placed on an eastern window. This provides morning sun that is mild enough to keep the tillandsia from burning.

Place your plants within 10-15 cm from the window, but so that they do not touch the window. The farther you are from the window, the intensity of the light will sharply decrease, and this will negatively affect the growth of plants.

The north side is suitable for growing, provided there are no large obstacles such as trees outside.

On west and south facing windows, many tillandsias will burn because the sun is too strong. In these cases, you may need to reduce the intensity of the sun by using sheer curtains or blinds.

Types and varieties

Among the most popular varieties of atmospheric tillandsia are the following specimens .

• Usneidae. In its natural environment it lives in the tropical forests of America. It has rather short, thin, hanging stems, its leaves are shortened, narrowed at the ends, the length varies from 3 to 10 cm, they have a pronounced gray tint. Plants develop successfully without supporting structures, live well in a suspended form and in most cases grow in cascades from 0.5 to 2 m. The flowers are yellow or blue, flowering usually occurs in the summer.

• Violet-flowered. It has rather miniature rosettes 4-5 cm high, the leaves are hard and cone-shaped. The flowers are blue-violet, with oblong petals. Flowering occurs in the summer months; shortly before the buds appear, the inner leaves begin to turn red.

• Silver. This variety is native to Mexico and Cuba. It is distinguished by elongated leaves, the length of which is 6-10 cm and the width - 1.5-2 cm. The leaves are expanded at the base, grow in a chaotic manner, forming a rather tight rosette. Stems are shortened. Summer flowering, scarlet buds and flowers.

• "The head of a jellyfish." In its shape, this type of atmospheric epiphyte resembles an ordinary onion; the rosette near the base is quite tightly closed and only as it approaches the top it begins to open and bend to the sides. The inflorescences are very decorative, deep blue, the bracts are red.

• Tillandsia protruding. This species is distinguished by narrow (1-1.5 cm) and elongated (up to 20 cm) triangular leaves, the shade is rich green, the leaf plates are covered with grayish scales. The peduncle is very short, the inflorescences visually resemble a spikelet. Summer flowering, elongated flower shape, light pink color.

• Tricolor. This is perhaps one of the most beautiful varieties of tillandsia; it has a very unusual color: the petals are bright green on top, yellow in the center, and reddish below. It turns out to be a “traffic light” in reverse. The shape of the flower petals is diamond-shaped. The leaf plates are collected into a strong rosette.

• Duera. A rather exotic variety, in the flowering phase it visually resembles a rowan leaf. The leaves are narrowed, tongue-shaped, collected in a strong rosette. The flowers are very small, white and pink.

• Anita. This is a selectively bred type of Tillandsia. The leaf blades are pointed, rather narrow, covered with small grayish scales, the spike with bracts is distinguished by a lilac or pink color, the buds and flowers are of a deep blue hue.

Flower varieties

Among the many types of atmospheric tillandsia, the following varieties are most suitable for survival at home:

• Silver. The rosette is thickened, the leaves are thin, thread-like, the flowers are small red-blue. It got its name from the bloom on the leaves, which glow silver in the sunlight.
• Head of Medusa. The leaves are plump, tightly curled, tentacle-like. The flower is bright pink with blue buds, flat in shape.
• Mahoid. There are no roots at all, the leaves are narrow with sharp tips, and the leaves are covered with a light white fluff on top. The flowers are small, inconspicuous, yellow.
• Tillandsia violetflower. Externally similar to coral. The rosettes are small in size, up to 5 cm, the leaves are thin, arched, the buds are violet-blue, and the normally green leaves turn pink during flowering.

Tillandsia xerographic

• Bootsy. The leaves are wide at the base with awl-shaped tips of emerald color, intertwined and entangled with each other. The flower is ribbed with a pink center and purple petals.
• Tillandsia juncea. The leaves are reed-like and collected in a rosette. Purple flower.
• Tillandsia bulbosa. The leaves are thin, long, twisting. When the plant blooms, the upper leaves turn red and the flower takes on a lavender hue.
• Tillandsia xerographica is the largest species. Grows up to 1 m in height. The leaves are silvery, curled at the ends. Becomes incredibly beautiful during flowering: the leaf bracts are bright pink, the flower bracts are green-yellow, and the flower itself is purple.

Atmospheric Tillandsia surprises with its beauty and vitality. The species differ from each other in the shape and color of the leaves, sizes, and shades. By purchasing several different varieties, you can create a strange mix without getting your hands dirty in the soil. It is easy to care for plants; the main condition is high humidity and regular spraying.