You probably know I am sort of into native Florida Tillandsia. Several of my T. simulata aka "Broad Needleleaf" are getting ready to bloom.

I'd love to see pics when they bloom, Ken. Right now I soak them once a week, and mist on the other days. Does that sound right for a very dry atmosphere in my home? I had them out in the greenhouse, but the greenhouse is going down to 55 right now so I brought them inside.

All my tillys, at lease as far as I know, will easily handle 55F. Heck, my Spanish moss will handle down into the teens. My plants might get watered every week. It just depends on where they are. They just get sprayed with water (with or without diluted fertilizer) when I am spraying all my other plants.

I will see about getting a picture or two of those simulata.

Thanks for that info, Ken. Maybe I'll take them back out to the greenhouse. I'm sure the higher humidity would be helpful. They had been turning red in the greenhouse, but it seemed to fade as they were in the house.

I assume the red coloration was due to increased light exposure. Others, with lots more experience than I, will be better able to tell you that.

You may be right. I had read that they turned redder when they were getting ready to bloom. These are the first air plants I've had.

Ken, I'd love to see photos of your Tillandsia simulata! I have some Tillandsia photos that I've been trying to identify but so many look a lot alike to me and I have no clue which these might be.

Growing on Oak trees at a local botanical gardens:


I spotted this type growing on trees along the Sebastian River when we were on my brother in laws boat last May:

Karen, several of my varieties do turn reddish before they begin blooming. I would think that if the reddish coloration was due to blooming-cycle, the plant(s) would not lose its red color just because it was moved. Again, I'm not that knowledgeable when it comes to tillys.

Lin, I see several varieties in your pictures, @plantladylin. The first picture shows the "Giant Airplant", T. utriculata linnaeus as well as "Southern Needleleaf", T. setacea. The second picture has some "Broad Needleleaf", T. simulata. The third picture has some beautiful "Cardinal Airplant", T. fasciculate v. densispica. There is some Spanish moss, T. usneoides scattered here and there. I can't identify any "Bartram's Air Plant", T. bartramii but it is probably there. I am so jealous that you can just go out and see all these Tillandsia.

Oh, here is what my T. simulata looked like last spring.

Thanks, Ken. That was my thought too. I bet the red was just the high light levels. I took them back to the greenhouse so we'll see how they react.

When we were in Florida, we took an airboat ride in the Everglades. There were air plants everywhere! It was really fascinating to see them out in the wild. It would be fun to live where they can just be placed in trees and do fine all year.

Isn't that the truth, Karen. No more hauling everything in twice a year. I can only dream of growing tropical plants that way.

Same here. We've moved many times over the years. We had decided no more moves, but then I got to see Florida! Oh my, I'm so tempted by the weather there. I know it's getting warmer and colder, but it's still marvelous for outdoor plants.

Ken, thanks so much! Yes, I'm familiar with Giant Air Plant/Wild Pine (T. utriculata), Southern Needleleaf (T. setacea) and Spanish Moss (T. usneoides). Those three are all fairly common ones that I see often.

Is the one in the foreground of this photo (the one with the pink spikes) the T. simulata?


And, although it's difficult to see clearly, I thought maybe the large one in this tree was perhaps the Cardinal Airplant T. fasciculata? It's on the same tree as these smaller tillies.:

I think you are correct with both. Seeing plants in their natural habitat and then growing them like I do, creates somewhat different "looks".

Thanks for the confirmation Ken. I am so bad at identifying plants!

@plantmanager, here are two Tillandsia getting ready to bloom. The one on the right is the "Southern Needleleaf" and the one on the right is the "Cardinal Air Plant". The "Southern Needleleaf" has three inflo stems and the "Cardinal" has a single.

Thanks for posting those, Ken. I appreciate it and will know more what to look for when and if mine bloom. They are back in the greenhouse right over the water holding pond, so they should like the extra humidity there. I also mist them. They're pretty small right now so it may be a while before I see any action.

I only have one and it looks horrid barely alive. I am trying valiantly to nurse it back. I made a little pouch of moss for its root area. Spray it daily.

Good luck, David. I am about ready to leave for the thirty minute trip to the hospital.