Description
About Tillandsia caput medusae ‘Sonoran Snow’
Tillandsia caput medusae ‘Sonoran Snow’ is a selected form of the classic Medusa’s Head, chosen for one thing above all. It carries far heavier white trichome cover than the ordinary type, so the whole plant reads snow-white rather than grey-green.
Tillandsia caput-medusae is native to Mexico and Central America. Thick, channelled leaves twist and snake outward from an inflated pseudobulb, which is where the common names octopus plant and Medusa’s head come from.
There is a detail worth knowing about that bulb. In habitat, ants nest inside it. The plant is myrmecophytic, and the hollow base evolved as accommodation rather than as a water store.
Plants ship at roughly 5 to 7 inches tall. The silver finish makes this selection considerably easier to sell than a standard caput medusae sitting beside it.
Growing Tillandsia caput medusae ‘Sonoran Snow’: Care Guide
The bulb shape drives everything here. Therefore mounting angle matters as much as watering frequency.
- Light: Bright light. Strong light keeps the leaves tightly curled and the trichome layer at its whitest.
- Water: Soak 20 to 30 minutes every 10 to 14 days. It tolerates neglect better than most species.
- Drying: The single most important rule. Mount it sideways or bulb-down, and always shake it out. Water sitting inside that hollow base rots the plant from within.
- Airflow: Strong airflow after each soak.
- Temperature: Wide range, from 50°F to 100°F. No frost.
- Feeding: Feed monthly through the growing season with diluted TillyBoost Fertilizer at quarter strength.
- Mounting: No soil. Wire it at an angle on wood or cork so the bulb drains freely.
- Pups: Offsets follow the bloom, and they come reliably. Separate at one third the size of the mother.
See our Air Plant Care page for the fundamentals, or browse our Rare Air Plants for more bulbous forms.
