Tillandsia paucifolia – Flowering plants

Tillandsia paucifolia (Potbelly air plant) is bulbous, large, single or clusters and normally have five to ten leaves which are many-ranked, recurved to twisted, silvery gray to grayish-scaly in color, and are short with tapered ends. The leaves are covered in trichomes, which are hair-like structures that increase the surface area on the leaves to maximize nutrient and water absorption from the air. It blooms in spring to summer from the single or digitized inflorescence. The bracts of the blooming stem resemble leaves and are imbricate. The primary bracts are scaly and reddish-green. The floral bracts are very scaly, green, and imbricate. The flowers are sessile, tubular, 4 cm long, pale pink to a lavender-blue color. The stamens and the pistil are exserted.

Scientific classification:

Family: Bromeliaceae
Subfamily: Tillandsioideae
Genus: Tillandsia
Subgenus: Allardtia
Species: T. paucifolia

Scientific Name: Tillandsia paucifolia Baker
Synonyms: Tillandsia bracteosa Klotzsch ex Beer, Tillandsia bracteosa Klotzsch ex Baker, Tillandsia yucatana Baker, Vriesea bracteosa Beer.
Common Name: Potbelly air plant, Air plant.

How to grow and maintain Tillandsia paucifolia (Potbelly 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 paucifolia 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 paucifolia 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 paucifolia 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.