Tillandsia ionantha
Common Name(s):
Previously known as:
- Tillandsia erubescens
- Phonetic Spelling
- til-LAND-see-uh eye-oh-NAN-tha
- Description
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Air Plant is a bromeliad that is an epiphyte or lithophyte. It is small and attractive and easy to grow. When the plant is getting ready to bloom the top leaves will turn bright red. Air plants use tiny vessels located throughout their leaves called trichomes to capture nutrients and moisture from the air.
They should not be planted in soil but can be placed in pots or mounted on objects. They require regular misting as their native habitat is humid. Be sure to gently shake any excess water from the leaves. Provide them with bright indirect lighting. They will live for several years and produce pups to become a clump. These can be removed to make a new plant if desired. Us a foliar fertilizer made for air plants only.
There are many cultivars available that provide variable leaf color.
Quick ID
- Grass-like leaves are blue-green, entire, covered with gray scales
- Absence of true roots (not anchored to soil)
- Leaves are succulent with wide, flattened bases
- Flower is blue-violet, a short spike with red bracts
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Tillandsia
- Species:
- ionantha
- Family:
- Bromeliaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Nicaragua, Mexico, Costa Rica, and South America
- Dimensions:
- Height: 0 ft. 6 in. - 1 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 0 ft. 4 in. - 0 ft. 8 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Epiphyte
- Houseplant
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Arching
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
- Available Space To Plant:
- Less than 12 inches
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Fruit:
- Fruit Type:
- Capsule
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- A subcylindric capsule .5" long, seeds have feathery tufts of hair and are dispersed by wind.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Blue
- Purple/Lavender
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Panicle
- Spike
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Description:
- The inflorescence is a very short terminal spike. A reduced panicle that looks spike-like with violet-purple petals and yellow stamens.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Gray/Silver
- Red/Burgundy
- Leaf Feel:
- Rough
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Rosulate
- Leaf Shape:
- Lanceolate
- Linear
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Width:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- Leaves are in a rosette, simple, linear-lanceolate, acute, bases wide and flattened, entire, succulent, medium green covered with absorbent gray scales, to 2.5 in; inner leaves flush red before flowering.
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Description:
- Stem is short, simple; roots few, wiry.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Container
- Hanging Baskets
- Houseplants