Tillandsia usneoides is native to Mexico, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Central America, South America, the southern United States, French Polynesia and the West Indies and in Queensland (Australia). It grows hanging from tree branches in full sun or partial shade an altitude ranging from 0 to just over 3000 meters.
Tillandsia usneoides also called as Spanish moss, Grandpas Beard, Old Man’s Whiskers, Renealmia usneoides, Dendropogon usneoides, Strepsia usneoides, Tillandsia trichoides, Tillandsia filiformis, Tillandsia crinita, is a species of the genus Tillandsia. This species was described by Carl Linnaeus in 1762.
IDENTIFY TILLANDSIA USNEOIDES AIR PLANT
Tillandsia usneoides is native to Mexico, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Central America, South America, the southern United States, French Polynesia and the West Indies and in Queensland (Australia). It grows hanging from tree branches in full sun or partial shade an altitude ranging from 0 to just over 3000 meters.
Spanish moss is an epiphyte that consists of one or more slender stems bearing alternate thin, curved or curly, heavily scaled leaves 2.0–6.1 cm long and 1 mm broad, that grow vegetatively pendant, forming hanging structures up to 6.1 m in length.
Grandpas Beard blooms from the scaly and tiny floral bract. The flowers are almost sessile, rather small (less than a cm wide), not tubular, with petals ranging from pale yellow to greenish yellow and more or less curved. The stamens and pistil are included. Very fragrant in the morning, especially when the plant is in poor light.
TILLANDSIA USNEOIDES AIR PLANT CARE AND CULTURE
Cultural information should only be used as a guide, and should be to be adapted to suit you. Your physical location; where you grow your plants, how much time you have to devote to their care, and many other factors, will need to be taken into account. Only then can you decide on the cultural methods that best suit you and your plants.
Light:
Tillandsia usneoides requires a lot of light. Don’t expose it to very strong sun, avoid full sun in the summer afternoon that will dehydrate the plant soon, unless the relative humidity is high.
Temperature:
Spanish moss is very resistant to cold. It tolerates small frosts if it is dry. The required temperature ranging from 10 to 32°C. It will grow actively through the year if the temperature in kept above 15°C. It is one of the rare species of Tillandsia (with T. bergeri , T. aeranthos and perhaps some others) that can stay out in winter in Mediterranean and Breton climates.
Humidity:
Grandpas Beard need the moderate to high level of humidity. Good aeration is required, the plant must dry quickly (in less than an hour). Be careful to ventilate the inside of the clumps or you will see some stems die (do not hesitate to split the clumps if they become too thick). Do not let it dry out too much – when hotter dry weather keep the water up.
Substrate, growing media and repotting:
Tillandsia usneoides refer to be suspended without any substrate. Place the plant very close to a window indoors in the winter and preferably out in the summer in partial shade or in a sunny position. The plant will enjoy being outside as long as temperatures allow.
Watering:
Water the plant every 2 days in summer (or more), 2 weekly minimum waterings in winter, to adapt according to the conditions of cultivation and the fineness of the leaves. To do this, the technique of immersion is much more effective than the vaporization, in particular because of the large number of scales on the epidermis of the plant and its general shape making sprays more difficult and less effective. Do not be afraid to leave it in the water for 15 to 20 minutes, so that it has time to hydrate properly.
Fertilizer:
Growth is much faster with regular intake, 2 to 3 times a month in the summer and 1 time per month maximum in the winter.
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