I've been watching this flower spike for months .. when it started to turn red I thought, "here we go" .. a few week later .. "hmmm, hope this thing doesn't just curl up and fall off". Finally, today "here we really go"!

....And definitely worth the wait!

I'm kind of worried though .. from what I understand the plant dies when it's done blooming and I don't see any pups forming!

Have no fear, it will eventually die but not until long after pups have formed and grown.

Your bloom looks similar to my T. simulata. I wish I could tell you that you will always have "pups" but unfortunately, sometimes they just don't form. But Alice is right, your plant still has lots of time to form them.

Anne, If it doesn't give you pups let me know...I have some.

Hi Alice !!!!

Hi Alice indeed! Nice to see you here.

This is my very first Tillandsia bloom .. I have others which aren't the Caput - I found a wire globe of sorts at a thrift store and that's where I keep them and they seem to like it. When I was in Ft. Lauderdale last year I raided my parent's and step-sister's house for more.

Wow Ken, your plants are so big!

Thanks for the offer MJ.

I like the globe, Anne. All mine are mounted on various woods.

Thanks! I wanted something that I could keep them all on so they'd be easier to over winter in the greenhouse. I was wondering though if they had any aversions to metal/paint.

I got a closer picture of the bloom.

I really don't know, since all of mine are mounted. Their natural habitat is of course trees, but I have seen them in the tropics growing on just about everything, including telephone wires. Some varieties might be finicky about what they grow on, but tillandsia is not my expertise. I just grow them because I find them interesting. If yours are growing well, I wouldn't worry about it.

Lovely bloom Anne! My tilly is also in blooming mode...love how each of those folds will push that bloom!

Thanks .. they do seem happy where they are.