Description
About Tillandsia Screwball
Screwball is a hybrid between chiapensis and Tillandsia velutina. The Bromeliad Society of Australia registered it in December 2020. So we’ll be upfront here: the registry documents its morphology in detail, but no one has identified the original hybridist. We asked growers in both the US and Malaysia and came up empty. Most collectors believe the clone originated in California, then circulated through collections in Australia, Malaysia, and Thailand since around 2018.
Its look is distinctive. Thin, pointed, semi-channeled grey-green leaves flush pink to bronze under strong light. They arrange into a rosette that reaches roughly 10 inches across at maturity. Because the inflorescence stays short and semi-recessed within the foliage, the frosted mid-pink bracts and tubular violet flowers show up close against the leaves.
We carry it in four grades, from a 3-inch Mini up to a 7-inch Large.
Because both parent species are heavily scaled, high-light plants, Screwball grows as a genuinely undemanding plant. Its color intensifies rather than suffers under bright conditions.
New arrivals sometimes show a greener center as they acclimate to retail lighting. That fades to the normal pink-bronze tone once the plant settles in.
Growing Tillandsia Screwball: Care Guide
Run it xeric, matching both heavily scaled parent species. Soak 10-14 days, then invert and shake dry.
- Water: Soak 10-14 days, then invert and shake dry.
- Light: High light with strong airflow; strengthens the pink-bronze flush.
- Feeding: Diluted TillyBoost Fertilizer monthly.
- Acclimation: New stock may show more green centrally; this fades as light exposure increases.
- Grading: Four size grades, Mini through Large.
Feed it TillyBoost Fertilizer on a regular cycle, browse more named hybrids in our Rare Air Plants category, or check the air plant care guide for xeric basics.
