Tillandsia houston, catalogue of Bromeliad plants

A catalogue of Bromeliads used for various projects by - Lloyd Godman

This is a catalogue of bromeliads used by Lloyd godman for his various installations and photosynthesis projects - the collection of pants he accessed in New Zealand from 1996 - 2004 was collected from a wide range of sources, while most were brought from Greens Bromeliads, some were also donated by the Dunedin Botanical Gardens. Later in 2004 these plants were either sold or given away with his move to Australia.

Lloyd is at present re-establishing his collection where he now lives in Melbourne.

A Lexicon of Bromeliads: A resource by Lloyd Godman

Genus - Tillandsia: Sub-Family - Tillandsioideae: Family - Bromeliad

Tillandsias are regarded as true air plants and as such are among the most unusual of the Bromeliad family. They range from bulbous forms and grass like structures to silver tufted masses. Typically they grow where there is free air movement like high treetop environments or across open rock faces, and often they are heavily covered in silver trichomes that help reflect the high levels of sun light they receive in these locations. While some tolerate temperatures as low as 5 degrees C (40 degrees F), or even lower, most prefer temperatures of around 10-32 degrees C (50-32 degrees F). While they require high levels of humidity, they need to dry out quickly and completely between misting or watering. As the trichome scales open to absorb moisture and close to retain it, it is important that the plants are given time to dry out and most plant deaths occur because of over watering.

Tillandsia houston

This Tillandsia houston flowered several months afo, produced three pups and then from the base of the mother plant a double flower spike.

Family: Bromeliad

Sub-Family: Tillandsioideae:

Genus: Tillandsia

Sub-Genus:

Native distribution: N/A hybrid

Seed parent: Tillandsia Stricta

Pollen Parent: Tillandsia Recurvifolia

Habit: Tillandsia Houston is a hybrid cross of Tillandsia Stricta and Tillandsia Recurvifolia. This popular cross results in air plants that are an incredible combination of the best of both parents. It carries the rosette forming leafy growth of Tillandsia Stricta softened by the silvery colour from Tillandsia Recurvifolia.

Foliage: The foliage is well covered with silver trichomes which gives the plant an attractive appearance.

Flowers: The plant can flower profusely with a vibrant bright pink inflorescence which lasts for several weeks and a series of small mauve flowers. The plant can produce two flowering periods a year.

Seed: The plant can produce viable seed but needs a pollinator - it is reluctant to self pollinate.

Pups: After flowering the plant produces 3 -5 pups at the base of the plant.

Cultivation: This is a strong vigorous plant that can withstand long hot dry periods, will grow in direct sun or shade and in a few years will quickly form large clumps.

Fertilization: A mist every week with Epiphyites Delight or Epsom salts during the growing season will help the plant.

( Epiphyte’s Delight fertilizer was developed for a special reason. Nitrogen promotes foliar growth. If you have Tillandsias, Orchids, or other epiphytes and you feed them, take a look at the nitrogen content. If it’s high in urea, the plants can’t use it because the urea needs a bacteria in soil to break it down into ammonia and nitrates. Since the epiphytes don’t have any soil they can’t break down the urea. It was for this reason that we had Epiphyte’s Delight formulated. It contains only ammoniacal and nitrate nitrogen which is immediately accessible and usable by the plants.)

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