Tillandsia exserta – Flowering plants

Tillandsia exserta is one of the most beautiful flowering air plants. It has silvery green leaves that recurve from the center to form a delightful rosette. It produces a tall dark red spike with purple tubular blossoms. Red inflorescence when in bloom. It looks ideal for displaying on a terrarium, tabletop, bookshelf, hanging planter.

Scientific classification:

Family: Bromeliaceae
Subfamily: Tillandsioideae
Genus: Tillandsia
Species: T. exserta

Scientific Name: Tillandsia exserta Fernald
Common Name: Air Plant, Tillandsia.

How to grow and maintain Tillandsia exserta (Air plant):

Light:
It thrives well in bright light, but not direct sunlight. The south, east, or west window is perfect. They can also be grown under fluorescent tubes.

Mounting:
Tillandsia exserta refers 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.

Water:
Water two to four times a week with a mister. If your environment is dry, mist daily. Water until the leaves are thoroughly wet. The water that runs off should be enough to wet the roots. Do not soak the base of a plant. Use rainwater or filtered tap water for misting your plant. Soft water contains too much salt and some tap water contains chlorine and fluoride that can leave water spots on foliage.

Temperature:
Tillandsia exserta thrives well in average room temperatures 60 degrees Fahrenheit – 75 degrees Fahrenheit / 16 degrees Celsius – 24 degrees Celsius.

Fertilizer:
Fertilize once every month with a low-copper liquid fertilizer, diluted to 1/4 strength.

Propagation:
It can be easily propagated by detaching offsets, or pups, from the base of the mother plant. When the pups are half the size of the mother, they can be divided and mounted on their own. Tillandsia exserta can also be grown from seed, but this is a slow process that might take months.

Pests and Diseases:
It has no serious pest or disease problems. Sometimes susceptible to aphids & mealybugs.