Tillandsia - ehlersiana

Description: Tillandsia ehlersiana was named by Prof. Werner Rauh (Germany), after Renate and Klaus Ehlers. This species is native to Mexico, where it grows at altitudes of up to 700m above sea level, mainly Saxicolous (on or among rocks). This is a stunning species, growing quite large, with a bulbous base and thick, silver, trichome covered leaves. It produces a soft pink inflorescence spike with purple tubular flowers. This is a slow growing species, and will form a large impressive clump over time. One interesting point about this species is that it produces adventitious offsets before the plant blooms. These are generally referred to as hair or sucker pups, and tend to grow a lot slower than regular pups (which emerge after the plant blooms).

Position: We do not recommend keeping this plant indoors. They should receive bright, indirect sunlight, and very good airflow. We recommend mounting this species, in positions such as under a tree, in a shade-house, or in a covered outdoor area such as a deck or patio.  When positioning outdoors in colder states, protection from frost is required, so keep this in mind.

Watering: As a general rule, a plant in a hot position will require watering every 2-3 days. In a dark, humid environment watering once per week can often be adequate. This can be achieved by misting or dunking the plant. If outdoors, a hose can be used. When dunking a plant, leave submerged in a bowl of water for 10-20 minutes before shaking off excess water. Air plants love to dry out completely between each watering and must never have water sitting at their base as this will cause the plant to rot.

Fertilisation: We recommend fertilising your Air Plants once a fortnight in the warmer months and once a month through winter. We sell Air Plant Fertiliser in our "Decor" section and this bottle can be diluted to create 1L of fertiliser.

Each living plant is unique and may vary slightly in size, colour or shape depending on the season. Flowering plants are sent when available.