Tillandsia flexuosa is found in the United States (Florida), Costa Rica, Panama, the Caribbean and the northern part of South America. It grows at low altitudes, from 0 to over 400 meters above sea level.
Tillandsia flexuosa, also called as Anoplophytum flexuosum, Tillandsia aloifolia, Tillandsia patens, Vriesea aloifolia, Vriesea tenuifolia, Platystachys patens, is a species of the genus Tillandsia. This species was described by Olof Swartz in 1788.
IDENTIFY TILLANDSIA FLEXUOSA AIR PLANT
Tillandsia flexuosa is found in the United States (Florida), Costa Rica, Panama, the Caribbean and the northern part of South America. It grows at low altitudes, from 0 to over 400 meters above sea level.
It is a medium to large sized epiphyte, acaule species with long (up to 50 cm), soft, often coiled or slightly twisted leaves in dense rosette (sometimes bulbous). The sheaths are broad, oval. The limbs are triangular and almost pungent.
This air plant bloom from the very long (may exceed one meter), single or bipinnate inflorescence. The peduncle, which is glabrous, can take a wavy appearance (hence the name of the plant). The bracts of the flowering stem are erect and scaly. The primary bracts are similar to the highest bracts of the flowering stem. The floral bracts are very far from the axis, hard, strongly veined, reddish, with more or less scales. The non-fragrant flowers are not sessile, 4 cm long, almost tubular. The color is variable: white, pink or purple red. The stamens and the pistil are slightly exserts.
TILLANDSIA FLEXUOSA 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 flexuosa requires good light without direct sun (especially in summer). Place the plant very close to a window in the winter, preferably outside in partial shade in summer.
Temperature:
The required temperature ranging from 10 to 32°C. Get it early enough in the fall if you grow it outside, so that it does not face night temperatures below 6 ° C, especially if it is wet. The plants can faced temperatures close to 0 ° C (sheltered and dry) for a few hours without damage.
Humidity:
This air plant need the moderate to high level of humidity. Good aeration is required, the plant must dry quickly (in less than an hour).
Substrate, growing media and repotting:
Tillandsia flexuosa refer to be mounted on a solid substrate that does not retain water. You can glue the plant directly to the surface with a strong adhesive, or you can wire the plant to the base. Don't cover the base of the plant with moss or it may rot. It can be grown on almost any imaginable decorative mount, including shells, rocks, slate, driftwood, etc.
Watering:
Three or four times a week in summer, once or twice a week in winter according to the luminosity and the ambient humidity. Obviously when it rains and if you grow it outside, it counts as a watering. You can leave some water in the rosette (except at the beginning of flowering, so as not to drown the inflorescence when it does not emerge from the rosette yet). This species will gladly like a terrarium.
Fertilizer:
This air plant can be fertilized with the moderate doses. 1 to 2 times a month in the summer and 1 time a month in the winter.
COMMENTS