Growing Tilandsia brings you joy

Mysterious tilandsia loves the sun and fog. These are rather unusual flowers and are not seen very often. However, we would like to point out their beauty and charm that almost no other flowers have. They are sometimes called airplants because they can hung on a piece of wood or stone or on anything you like. They also look very nice in window niches. In terms of growing they are very easy indeed and only require regular spraying and proper fertilization. So what tilandsia growing and flowering actually means?

Classification

Tilandsia belongs to the Bromeliaceae family of plants that originate in America. Over the time, they were brought to the Old Continent, similarly as Christopher Columbus and other adventurers broad potatoes and other discoverers to Europe. The name Tilandsia dates back to 1753 and it is credited to the famous botanist Carl Linnaeus. At first, people thought that these plans are a mere modification of mistletoe, but over time they discovered that tilandsia is not a parasitic type of plant! But yes, tilandsia lives epiphytically without soil, and in the nature you can find them attached to all possible living plants.

Tilandsia gets nutrients from water!

Many experts say that tilandsia drink fog and thanks to its remarkable body structure, this is true to some extent. These tufted plants are covered with fine scales, which give them the exotic look but at the same time they protect the plant from undesirable radiation and overheating. In terms of water intake, tilandsia works as a sponge. It simply absorbs water and holds it for a long time. It mainly uses its roots to attach itself to its habitat.

A single flower for a lifetime

Many bromeliads can bloom repeatedly, but tilandsia only once in a lifetime! Inflorescence is composed of several flowers. After pollination tilandsia seeds are released, similarly as dandelions seeds, and the wind blows them to different places.

Photo: Pixabay