Tillandsia baileyi, commonly known as the reflexed airplant, Bailey's Ball Moss or giant ball moss. Named after Liberty Hyder Bailey an American botanist.
Native distribution: Tillandsia bailey is native to southern Texas, Tamaulipas in Mexico and Gutemala. (it is the only native USA species that is not found in Florida) It grows at altitudes 900 - 1200m ( 2,900 - 3,900ft)
Habit: The plant grows well as an epiphyte and can quickly grow into large colonies that looks like a strange out of control haircut. The leaves have a heavier indumentum (layer of trichomes that make it appear a fuzzy white) than other pseudobulbous species. With the flower spike it grows to about 18cm. Some plants can be viviparous producing pups from the flower spike.
Foliage: It has long twisted wirery thin leaves while the leaf base swells into a bulbous form about the size of an acorn.
Flowers: The flowers form on a long stem and form as a long tube with purple blue flowers. The bracts are red and dusted with trichomes
Cultivation: The plants respond to bright light with dapple shade, however like all Tillandsias they respond to regular misting but allow the plant to dry quickly - do not water in direct sun on a hot day as this will burn off the trichome cells.
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