Tillandsia purpurea is endemic to Peru. It grows on sand, rock, and xerophytic vegetation, from near sea level to 900 (rarely 3100) meters above sea level.
Tillandsia purpurea, also called as Platystachys purpurea, Tillandsia azurea, Tillandsia scoparia, Tillandsia longibracteata, Anoplophytum longibracteatum, Platystachys azurea, Platystachys scoparia, is a species of the genus Tillandsia. This species was described by Hipólito Ruiz López & José Antonio Pavón in 1802.
IDENTIFY TILLANDSIA PURPUREA AIR PLANT
Tillandsia purpurea is endemic to Peru. It grows on sand, rock, and xerophytic vegetation, from near sea level to 900 (rarely 3100) meters above sea level. It is a beautiful species in flower and very fragrant.
It is a very variable, stemless to long-caulescent species, flowering to 70 cm long with rosulate or distributed along the stem, polystichous, 10-20 cm long leaves covered with fine cinereous or fuscous spreading scales.
This air plant blooms from the bipinnate, sub laxly pyramidal, to 9 cm long inflorescence with many clusters (racemes) each carrying up to 8 flowers. The bracts of the flowering stem are purple-green and scaly. The floral bracts are purple and glabrous. The flowers are non-tubular, 1 cm wide, bluish with white throat, becoming purple by fading, borne by a short pedicel. Sepals equally sub-free, lanceolate, acute, to 11-16 mm long, nerved, glabrous. Petals purple or blue and white, the blades suberect at anthesis, elliptic, 5 mm long. The stamens and pistil are included.
TILLANDSIA PURPUREA 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 purpurea requires good light (avoid the afternoon in summer if the plant is young or has not been used). It is considered easy to cultivate but beware of excess moisture and lack of light.
Temperature:
It's a species that seems to appreciate the cool. 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 4 or 5 ° 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 low level of humidity. This species did not give very good results in terrarium and thus seems to prefer a relative drought. Good aeration is required, the plant must dry quickly (in less than an hour).
Substrate, growing media and repotting:
Tillandsia purpurea can grow on the sand or to be mounted on a solid substrate that does not retain water. Place the plant very close to a window indoors in the winter and preferably outside the summer in a sunny situation. 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:
Twice a week in summer, once 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.
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.
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