And eventually, some Tillandsia species can be found in small, medium, and huge sizes, so take this under consideration as you propose your assortment.
Now, listed below are 17 of our favorites and the important thing bodily attributes of every particular person species:
1. Aeranthos
Tillandsia aeranthos is a xeric selection with mild inexperienced leaves which have a silvery solid.
The foliage is pointed and stiff, extending outward from the middle to type a rosette. Within the brightest mild, it might have a purple hue.
Because it grows, the rosette telescopes to heights of six to eight inches.
From this pale and unassuming foliage, beautiful blossoms rise on elongated stems, or inflorescences.
With pink-purple bracts and a hoop of blue-purple petals, they resemble tiny fuchsia flowers.
2. Albertiana
You’ll acknowledge that Tillandsia albertiana is a mesic kind by its easy, darkish, fleshy leaves. They’ve a yellow-green hue which will darken towards a purple shade.
A key figuring out attribute is its “distichous” foliage sample. Like that of a fir tree, the leaves are organized in a repeating sample of opposing rows.
Mature heights vary from two to 4 inches.
The flowers of this selection have three shiny pink petals and will final per week.
3. Andreana
Like a small tuft of wispy grass, mesic Tillandsia andreana has slim, fleshy leaves which might be pale inexperienced and needle-like.
A fragile magnificence, it dislikes temperature fluctuations greater than most.
Heights vary from 4 to 6 inches.
The reward for catering to its care is a blush of pink adopted by the emergence of an upright coral-red flower.
You could find T. andreana crops out there from the Ragnaroc Retailer through Amazon.
4. Brachycaulos
The flat inexperienced leaves of xeric Tillandsia brachycaulos are a shiny mid-green, and resemble those who emerge from the highest of a pineapple.
The foliage might have a purple or pink solid, and grows in a telescoping vogue to heights of eight to 10 inches.
Upon blooming, the foliage blushes magenta-red, and erect purple blossoms seem.
You could find two- to three-inch T. brachycaulos crops out there from Backyard within the Metropolis through Amazon.
5. Bulbosa
Mesic Tillandsia bulbosa has fleshy, darkish inexperienced leaves that resemble the squiggly tentacles of an octopus.
They protrude from a base that resembles a layered onion, and will attain heights of 8 to 18 inches.
When flowering, the higher leaves flip pink, and from their heart, a small-statured pink bract emerges that accommodates a purple-petaled blossom.
An uncommon function of this plant is that within the wild, it exists in symbiosis with ants that make their house in its hole bulb-like stem bases.
Hold this in thoughts if you happen to give your crops outside time in the summertime months. They gained’t damage the plant, however might invade your private home.
T. Bulbosa
You could find five-packs of T. bulbosa crops out there from Backyard within the Metropolis through Amazon.
6. Butzii
Resembling a little bit squid, the distinguishing function of mesic Tillandsia butzii is the mottling on its tentacle-like inexperienced leaves.
The foliage originates in a rounded bulb-like base and will develop as much as 10 inches lengthy.
Like T. bulbosa, it might host ants if positioned outside.
Purple inflorescences open to purple flowers.
You could find six- to nine-inch T. butzii crops out there from Ragnaroc through Amazon.
7. Capitata
This kind might resemble Tillandsia brachycaulos, with its spider plant-like leaves, however two differentiating traits are that this sort is xeric, with the basic silvery solid trichomes make, and it blushes peach-pink simply earlier than blooming.
There are a variety of T. capitata varieties out there, starting from inexperienced to purple. Heights might exceed 10 inches.
At flowering time, the middle leaves blush peach earlier than a purple flower emerges from the rosette heart.
You could find T. capitata crops from Backyard within the Metropolis through Amazon.
8. Caput medusae
A xeric selection, Tillandsia caput medusae has silver-gray trichomes on snake-like winding inexperienced leaves that resemble the hair of the legendary Medusa.
Progress is telescoping with laterally spreading foliage, and heights vary from six to eight inches.
Throughout flowering, you’ll see a pink blush on the heart of the plant first, adopted by pink/yellow bracts that open to purple/white blossoms.
Like T. bulbosa, ants might make their house within the base of this plant, so concentrate on this if you happen to give it time outside.
You could find Medusa out there from the Air Plant Store Retailer through Amazon.
9. Chiapensis
Tillandsia chiapensis is a xeric species with rosettes of arching to curly, trichome-covered light-green foliage which will blush to purple.
Heights differ extensively, from two to 12 inches.
When in bloom, pale pink quill-like spikes with purple flowers rise from the middle.
10. Concolor
Xeric Tillandsia concolor boasts mild inexperienced to yellow trichome-covered leaves that resemble these of a spider plant. They’re noteworthy for his or her firmness.
Heights are between seven and 9 inches.
At blooming time, the foliage blushes pink and inexperienced quill-like spikes rise from the middle to disclose magenta blooms.
Extra adaptable than some, it could actually deal with shiny mild to shade.
You could find T. concolor in packs of three out there from the Air Plant Store Retailer through Amazon.
11. Cyanea
T. cyanea is a mesic selection with a cluster of medium inexperienced, spider-like leaves.
Heights vary from eight to 10 inches.
Crops produce a sizzling pink quill-like spike with three-petaled purple-blue flowers on its edges.
This plant has roots which might be capable of take up nourishment, and in contrast to different species, it additionally thrives in potting soil.
You could find T. cyanea in four-inch pots out there from Ragnaroc through Amazon.
12. Didisticha
Tillandsia didisticha is a xeric kind with stiff, arching gray-green foliage within the form of a free rosette.
This can be a massive selection that may attain 12 inches tall.
The flower is a salmon-colored inflorescence with tiny white blossoms.
13. Funckiana
T. funckiana is a xeric kind that appears like a cluster of sunshine inexperienced balsam fir needles coated with a light-weight dusting of snow.
Delicate to the contact, it might wind or stretch upright, to a size of about eight inches.
Its flower is a protracted pink tubular blossom that gracefully emerges on the tip of the slim leaves.
14. Ionantha
The rosettes of xeric Tillandsia ionantha aka sky crops, begin out silver-green and alter in shade to tackle pink tones at bloom time.
This kind has a petite stature, reaching mature heights of 1 to a few inches.
When the tubular purple blossoms burst from the rosette’s pink heart, the impact of inexperienced, pink, and purple creates a miniature horticultural tapestry.
Discover T. ionatha from the Air Plant Store Retailer out there through Amazon.
Study extra about rising sky crops right here.
15. Recurvata
Tillandsia recurvata, aka small ball moss, is a rounded xeric kind with slim silver-green leaves that resemble the twigs in an intricate chook’s nest.
Within the brightest mild, the foliage might have a reddish solid.
Mature heights attain six to 12 inches.
The flower is a slightly nondescript spike of inexperienced to pink, on a inexperienced inflorescence.
16. Usneoides
Often known as Spanish moss, Tillandsia usneoides is a xeric selection that’s distinctive in that it grows in a downward course, clinging and hanging from host surfaces within the wild.
Like a mass of tangled gray-green hair, foliage might exceed 20 ft in size.
The flowers are brown and nondescript, however they’ve a pleasing nighttime perfume.
17. Xerographica
With its trichome-covered spring inexperienced foliage, xeric Tillandsia xerographica is likely one of the largest, sturdiest, longest residing air crops.
Its large leaves are deeply curled in a compact, rounded type.
It’s a pleasing house companion that may stand up to each direct and oblique daylight, generally rising as massive as three ft large and twenty-four inches tall over a lifetime of twenty years or extra.
Flowering consists of a inexperienced inflorescence as much as 15 inches tall, with pink and inexperienced coloration.
Study extra about rising xerographica air crops right here.
Get Artistic with Collectible Tillandsia
Tillandsia are very versatile crops. In USDA Hardiness Zones 8 to 11, they develop properly outside, and in all zones, they make easy-care houseplants.
As well as, with a little bit dab of floral glue, out there from Amazon, they make eclectic wearable equipment and gift-wrapping decorations. And whereas they don’t require soil, they do want water, so preserve that in thoughts as you think about the probabilities.
And eventually, crops grown indoors don’t get the vitamins they’d get in the event that they have been of their pure habitat. You possibly can present supplemental vitamin with fertilizer.
A product it’s possible you’ll like is that this air plant fertilizer from Cute Farms through Amazon. Combine it per package deal directions, for a month-to-month dunk or soak.
Select your favorites and get began. There are such a lot of to gather, I do know you’re going to have enjoyable!
And for extra details about rising air crops and epiphytes, add these to your studying listing subsequent:
© Ask the Specialists, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for extra particulars. Initially revealed December 2, 2020. Final up to date August 5, 2025. Product picture through Backyard within the Metropolis. Uncredited images: Shutterstock.
