"Tillandsia are epiphytes and need no soil because water and nutrients are absorbed through the leaves. The roots are used as anchors only. Reproduction is by seeds or by offsets called "pups". A single plant could have up to a dozen pups.
Although not normally cultivated for their flowers, some Tillandsia will bloom on a regular basis. In addition, it is quite common for some species to take on a different leaf colour (usually changing from green to red) when about to flower. This is an indication that the plant is monocarpic (flowers once before dying) but offsets around the flowering plant will continue to thrive.
Temperature is not critical, the range being from 89.6F down to 50F. They are sensitive to frost, except for the hardiest species, T. usneoides, which can tolerate night-time frosts down to about 14F. In some situations Tillandsia are often termed pioneer plants occupying environments, like rock cliffs, that few other plants can. They grow through a process called a CAM cycle, where they close the stomata during the day and open it at night to uptake carbon and release oxygen."
Taken from wikipedia's page at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T...
