Family: Bromeliad
Sub-Family: Tillandsioideae:
Genus: Tillandsia
Sub-Genus:
Native distribution and habitat: T. paleacea naturally grows on desert sands at altitudes near sea level to 3,000 m from Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Columbia where
it can from amazingly thick tangled masses that entirely cover the ground.
Growth habit: Depending on location, the plant is variable, with smaller and larger leaf variations. The leaves develop from a long twisted stem.
Foliage: The thin leaves are thin and look like twisted pieces of silver wire.In the smaller form the leaf is 60mm long by 5mm wide.
Flowers: A long thin green stalk emerges from the plant tipped with a thin green faintly purple sheath, from which attractive astor - violet blooms open.
While T. paleacea has small flowers, they are eye catching and fragrant. The flowers are keeled.
Seed:
Pups: The plant produces pups from back growth on the stem.
Cultivation: A hardy, adaptable and easy plant to grow it can endure long dry periods but will respond to regular misting in the warmer months. Dale W.
Jenkins of the Sarasota Bromeliad Society suggests the species is hardy with survival and little or no damage at -3 °c for several hours.
Availability: Often available as single shoots.
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