Tillandsia (air carnations), is the genus with the most representatives of plants belonging to the Bromeliaceae family. It comprises around 678 species that inhabit from the United States to Argentina. They are commonly known as carnations of the air and barbs de palo.
The leaves of these plants are green or gray and the inflorescences are very striking for their bright colors. They are species that do not have thorns and their leaves get narrower as they get closer to the tips.
The type species of this genus is Tillandsia usneoides, better known as a stick beard. Some tillandsias can measure up to several meters in length, while others measure a few centimeters.
Tillandsias are not toxic to any animal. They are used as ornamentals and their cultivation requires little care, since they basically need water, air and light to develop well..
It is frequently used to fill and decorate nativity scenes in the Christmas season, although this practice is not recommended from an ecological point of view..
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They are epiphytic plants, that is, they grow sustained from other plants. Some species are hanging and can measure several meters in length, and other species are acaules (very short stem), and some have a pseudobulb.
With respect to foliage, tillandsias are divided into mesophytic tillandsias and xerophytic tillandsias.
Mesophilic tillandsias have green leaves and are found in humid areas in semi-shady conditions..
Xerophytic tillandsias have gray or white foliage and are drought resistant.
The roots do not work to absorb water but only as support. They are wire-shaped and have no root hairs.
The flowers of most tillandsias are inconspicuous, although they are embedded in large, colorful inflorescences. On the other hand, the inflorescences are poorly developed, but have very large and showy flowers..
Tillandsias reach their reproductive age after four to six years. In general, the flowers of the tillandsias show three sepals attached to the base, while in the corolla the petals are narrow and show blue or green colors..
In particular, xerophytic tillandsias resist drought conditions. The leaves are gray and have many trichomes from cells specialized in absorbing water or humidity from the environment..
On the other hand, the leaves are covered with a layer of epidermal hairs that allow the sun's rays to be reflected in addition to producing the silver color of the leaves..
Also, the roots do not have a water absorption function. The function of the roots is only of support (fixation to the substrate). For this reason, these plants must make the most of the water coming from the rain, and the salts that they can capture through atmospheric dust..
This genus was described by Linnaeus in 1753, and its name is dedicated to the Swedish botanist Elías Tillands (1640-1693).
-Kingdom: Plantae
-Phylum: Tracheophyta
-Class: Liliopsida
-Order: Poales
-Family: Bromeliaceae
-Gender: Tillandsia
Some examples of mesophilic tillandsias are T. brachycaulos, T. dyeriana, T. wagneriana, T. cyanea.
On the other hand, some species of xerophytic tillandsias are T. stricta, T. funckiana, T. gardneri, T. bulbosa, T. butzii.
The gender Tillandsia It is distributed from the United States to Argentina, being able to grow from sea level to 4000 m.
The habitat of most of these plants is epiphytic and some are terrestrial. Epiphytic plants are not parasitic. They can grow or stick to public wiring or other place where it can grow by joining.
Tillandsias grow on trees, rocks, and on some cacti. They manage to obtain water and nutrients through the trichomes of their leaves. Since they do not grow on the ground, they must obtain nutrients from airborne dust particles, decomposing leaves, and organic matter from insects..
The main use of tillandsias is as an ornamental crop. Thanks to their easy and non-demanding cultivation, they are one of the plants most used to decorate gardens, while providing different colors and attracting attention for their vivid flowers..
From the ecological point of view, these plants enrich the diversity of the forests, they serve as a home for some small animals such as insects; In addition, they beautify the landscapes of cities or avenues where they are observed growing from the branches of the trees or from the wiring.
On the other hand, and despite not being recommended from a conservation point of view, these species are used in some places to decorate nativity scenes during the month of December..
Species such as the stick beard are known as lama in the state of Táchira - Venezuela. While other species of tillandsias with pseudobulbs are generally known as guinchos and with them the births are decorated, since they resemble a small tree.
Another use of tillandsias is as a cover for crops, to make handicrafts, fill flower gardens, fill rugs, seats and mattresses.
Tillandsias can reproduce from seeds. These seeds have a feathery appendage that allows them to be moved by the wind over long distances. In fact, it is thanks to this feathery appendix that it is the most widely distributed genus of bromeliads on Earth, as well as the one with the largest number of species..
To achieve the germination of the seeds, they must be placed on previously moistened fern root plates and then placed in a plastic bag to conserve moisture..
Also, tillandsias can be propagated through the offspring produced by the mother plant. These offspring can emerge during or after flowering.
Another way to grow them, depending on whether they are mesophilic or xerophytic, is to keep them in wooden baskets that have not been treated with preservatives. It must be taken into account that the size of the basket must be smaller than that of the plant to be cultivated and that it must be fixed with soft wire..
It is important that, with respect to water, these plants cannot get trapped in holes because if their base or roots get wet and cannot be dried with the air, it is very likely that the plant will rot..
In general, these plants should be moistened two to three times a week, if they are in a warm, dry environment. Whereas, if they are kept in a cooler and more humid place, it is enough to moisten them once or twice a week.
If the plant requires it, it is advisable to completely submerge it in water once a month for 10 minutes or a couple of hours. It is important that you then allow the foundation to dry completely before placing it in its growing spot again.
In this case, the dehydration of a tillandsia can be determined when the plant produces a very accentuated curvature of its leaves.
Plants with green leaves require more humidity and should be kept in shady places. In contrast, gray-leaved plants are stiffer and need less watering and more light. And the latter require even more drying well between watering and watering..
One fact for irrigation is that tillandsias like slightly acidic water with a pH of 6.0. For this effect, a little vinegar can be added to the water with which the plants are moistened..
As indicated above, tillandsias require drying well between watering and watering, therefore, it is necessary to locate these plants in a place where they are quite exposed to air circulation. Drying time is about 4 hours.
Tillandsias do well in a temperature range between 7 and 35 ° C. On the contrary, these plants are very sensitive to frost.
Ideally, fertilize these types of plants with soluble foliar fertilizers. To do this, it is normally diluted in water to ¼ the concentration of commercial fertilizer and applied once a month. You can also add a few drops of fertilizer to a liter of water and then water the plants with that water..
Plants grown from seed have a very slow growth and are slow to mature, that is, they take time to flower..
Tillandsias tolerate bright and indirect light, either sunlight or artificial light such as fluorescent lighting in an office.
In case of keeping them inside houses or offices, they should also be brought as close as possible to a window to cover the light requirements..
These plants turn out to be quite resistant to the attack of pests, so this point does not generate a problem for their cultivation..
This plant is the type species of the genus Tillandsia. It is known as a stick or hay beard and is a gray grass with a hanging stem and grows several meters long. It has no roots, and the lateral inflorescences are reduced to a flower. It is possible to confuse it with species of lichens as long as they do not have the inflorescence.
It is a native plant of Mexico and Central America that turns reddish in color when enough light is reached.
This tillandsia is native to Peru, it has a rosette shape and a pink or lilac inflorescence.
It is native to Ecuador, it has an intense red inflorescence and its leaves are green with violet tones, and these measure about 25 cm and have an elongated funnel shape..
It is another native species of Ecuador and when in direct exposure to the sun it turns an intense purple color.
It has purple flowers that stay open for up to three days, and it is one of the most striking species of the tillandsias..
It is a plant with very thin leaves that form a kind of small rosette. It produces an inflorescence of fuchsia color and its cultivation obtains better results when it is next to other plants of the same species.
Its shape is a small rosette, the bracts of the inflorescence are silver with pink and the flower is red. It is available in Venezuela, Colombia, Trinidad and Brazil.
As its name implies, it is bulb-shaped and measures between 7 and 30 cm. The inflorescence is red, orange or purple.
It is native to Central America, and the leaves show a mottled coloration. They need to be in a place with enough humidity and average incidence of sunlight.
It is a plant that grows in Guatemala, has a velvety texture and does well in places with a high incidence of light and requires a lot of humidity..
It is a very beautiful plant that is easy to grow and that can grow in groups and look very attractive. This plant grows well in bright and spacious places. It is a natural plant from Venezuela and forms a bright red flower.
It is a very successful species within the tillandsias. Performs well in a wide range of light, water and temperature conditions.
It does not have roots, the leaves are curly and they join their host like a kind of monkey. The inflorescences of this species last several months, are lavender or lilac in color and give off a very pleasant smell..
It is a very beautiful species of tillandsia and quite easy to grow. Its leaves are more or less succulent and have a purple or pink color. When it blooms, even more colors can be seen in this plant.
This species is one of the most popular seen in bromeliad collections. It has thin, green leaves; therefore it requires abundant irrigation if it is in places with dry or xerophytic climates.
Plants of this species that are propagated from seed require about twelve years to mature..
This plant is a resistant species, with rigid and brittle leaves. It has red floral bracts and its flowers are white..
Other notable species are Tillandsia caput-medusae, Tillandsia disticha, Tillandsia argentea, Tillandsia streptophylla, Tillandsia ehlersiana Y Tillandsia seleriana.
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