Xela's Garden

About this plant

Genus: Tillandsia.

Species: Tillandsia Argentea.

Set up '08 Vistabile kitchen window-sill

Bought '08 Well End Garden Centre, Wendover for £1.99

It grows in dry, woodland in Mexico, Guatemala, Cuba and Jamaica. This species has a bulbous base and tends to grow singly or in clumps of just a few plants. An adult species is normally 10-12 cm in diameter, and the blades and sheaths are silvery blue-green. The floral cluster is smooth and not hairy. The blooms few in number. The scape and floral bracts are cherry and the flowers are grape violet.

It grows well under moderate tillandsia conditions. The plant should receive bright light and sufficient air movement; the amount of water will depend on the humidity and temperature of the grower’s microhabitat. With proper cultivation, the plant grows to be beautifully symmetrical; soft and fragile in appearance yet hardy and fast growing. It usually does not grow well as a year-round houseplant. As with other filiform-leaved species, such as filifolia and juncea, it prefers an airy, outdoor environment.