The Spiraled Shell Tillandsia Garden – Easy and fun to grow!

from the Logee's growers

The Spiraled Shell Tillandsia Garden – Easy and fun to grow!

By Laurelynn Martin and Byron Martin

 
 

Spiraled Shell Tillandsia Garden
Spiraled Shell Tillandsia Garden

Tillandsias, also known as air plants, are a member of the Bromeliad family. Mostly native to Central and South America, there are more than 730 species in the Tillandsia genus. Attaching themselves to other plants or trees, they thrive without soil, absorbing nutrients and water through the leaves. While some grow in the desert, the tillandsias featured here at Logee’s are generally found in the understory of a tropical forest.


Tillandsias come in many shapes and sizes. The plants themselves are usually quite durable, made up of stiff leaves that form in a rosette. Some are wispy, others thin and broad. They reproduce by seed or by offsets (also called pups), which is how they grow in size and reproduce. The only pruning that needs to be done is cutting off old flower spikes.


One of the best-selling plants here at Logee’s is this attractive, easy-care Spiraled Shell Tillandsia Garden, which makes a colorful decoration for a partially sunlit window. Three “air plant” tillandsias, including a Belize Bulbosa, a red Brachycaulos Abdita and a silvery-green Ionantha, are “planted” on top of a sustainably-harvested spiraled shell with green reindeer moss as the finishing touch. Overall height of the Garden is approximately 6” tall. A 4” aluminum hanger makes it easy to display the Tillandsia Garden.


Mist or soak the Spiraled Shell Tillandsia Garden once or twice a week to keep the plants healthy. When grown indoors in the north during the winter, more frequent misting is beneficial. However, they can tolerate dryness quite well. Just don’t forget about them entirely!


SPIRALED SHELL TILLANDSIA GARDEN – HIGHLIGHTS

Hardiness Zone: 10
Bloom Season: Intermittent
Sun Requirement: Partial Sun
Grows to: 6"
Minimum Temperature Indoors: 60°F