Balbisiana Tillandsia

It is stemless, the leaves are often recurved, and pass below the base of the plant itself. The spread of the upper leaves is usually about 40 cm.

An average plant is 35-70 cm tall, depending on the length of the curved blades. The leaves are normally lettuce green. It produces a tall floral clump that is cardinal red. The flower has a remarkable contrast to the pale colour compared to the leaves.

The brightly coloured flowers are purple. Because of its leathery texture, Tillandsia or Balbisian air plant is a species that always seems a little parched - even when watered frequently. The plant prefers bright light, high humidity and frequent watering when the weather is hot and/or dry.

The spathes are on average about 40 cm long, and can reach up to 70 cm in height, the colour of the leaves is light green, matt, and the leaves are very hard and strong, covered with a layer of trichomes that trap moisture from the air for feeding. These trichomes are very compressed on the surface of the leaves. The inflorescence is a deep red colour and the flowers are a very dark purple colour.

These varieties are epiphytes, which means that they do not need any kind of substrate to live, they can live on the branches of the trees, the ants live inside them in such a way that they make a symbiosis. The ants receive a place to live and the air plant receives nutrients from the waste generated by the ants.

These varieties are distributed from Florida, the Caribbean, Mexico, Panama and the north of South America and are found below 1,500 m altitude, they usually like to live in the branches of humid forests.

Support/bark not included.