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Tillandsia utriculata

giant airplant

Bromeliaceae

Florida, Caribbean, and Central America

Attracts Pollinators Deer Resistant Drought Tolerant Container Friendly

Native to North America

SunPart Shade

WaterLow · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 9–11

Overview

Tillandsia utriculata is an epiphytic bromeliad that grows on tree branches and bark without rooting in soil. It forms a rosette of arching, gray-green leaves spanning 1-3 feet (30-90 cm), larger than other air plants native to the United States. The leaves are broad at the base and taper to a point, with a powdery coating of scales that absorb water and nutrients from rain and humid air. After several years of growth the plant sends up a branched flower spike 3-6 feet (0.9-1.8 m) tall bearing small greenish-white flowers. T. utriculata is monocarpic: each rosette flowers once, sets large quantities of wind-borne seed, and then dies, without producing the offsets that many bromeliads form. It is native to Florida, the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America, growing in hammocks and swamps in warm, humid climates. In Florida the species is listed as endangered, largely from damage by the introduced Mexican bromeliad weevil. It tolerates no frost and grows only where temperatures stay above freezing. Plants attach to bark and need bright, filtered light with high humidity. Hardy in USDA zones 9-11.

Native Range

Tillandsia utriculata is native to Florida, the West Indies, Mexico, and Central America south to Venezuela. It grows as an epiphyte in hammocks, swamps, and forests, perched on the branches and trunks of trees in warm, humid lowlands.

Suggested Uses

Grown as a mounted specimen in greenhouses, on patios, and indoors in bright rooms. Used in tropical and subtropical gardens attached to tree trunks and branches. Displayed on driftwood or cork without soil.

How to Identify

Identified by a large rosette of broad, arching gray-green leaves 1-3 feet (30-90 cm) across, growing on tree bark without soil. The leaf bases are wide and bulbous, tapering to slender tips. A mature plant produces a tall, branched flower spike up to 6 feet (1.8 m) with greenish-white flowers. Its size and branched spike separate it from the smaller, unbranched air plants of the same range.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height1' - 6'

Width/Spread1' - 3'

Reaches mature size in approximately 6 years

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~4 weeks

Summer

Flowers once at maturity, usually in summer after five or more years of growth. The branched spike develops over several weeks and carries flowers that open a few at a time. After seed sets, the parent rosette dies.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

Gray-green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunPartial Shade

Requires 3-6 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Frost Tolerance

tender

Time to Maturity

5-10 years

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grow mounted on bark, driftwood, or a tree branch in bright, filtered light, never in soil. Mist or soak the plant regularly so the leaves stay hydrated in dry indoor air, letting it dry fully between waterings. It requires warmth and high humidity and is damaged by temperatures below freezing. No fertilizer is needed, though dilute foliar feeding can speed growth. Each rosette grows for years, blooms once, and then dies after setting seed. Indoors, set it where air circulates to prevent rot in the leaf base.