Description
About Tillandsia crocata copper penny
Tillandsia crocata copper penny is an orange-flowered form of Tillandsia crocata. Orange is very rare in the genus, and these flowers are bright copper-orange and strongly fragrant.
The plant is also much bigger than the yellow form. It grows two to three times the size, with longer silver leaves and a more open rosette.
It is easy and vigorous, and it clumps readily into large balls. Minis start at 1 to 2 inches, and larges are 7 inches or more.
The scent is the sweet crocata fragrance, and a ball in bloom carries dozens of orange flowers at once.
For a fragrant display, copper penny is the plant that stops people. It is inexpensive, it clumps fast, and nothing else in the range offers orange flowers with scent. Our dwarf yellow crocata is the compact version.
Growing Tillandsia crocata copper penny: Care Guide
Crocata comes from dry South American scrub, so it wants sun and quick drying. The larger leaves of this form hold a little more water than the dwarf, and balls hold water in the middle, so shake clumps well and hang them in moving air. A cool, dry winter rest brings the orange flowers in spring. A few weeks of cool nights, less water and strong light are all it takes, and the scent carries across a shop once the first flowers open.
- Light: Bright light with direct sun for part of the day.
- Water: Soak 20 minutes every 10 to 14 days.
- Drying: Shake hard from several angles. Hang balls to drain.
- Airflow: Good airflow, especially for clumps.
- Temperature: 40°F to 95°F. Cool nights encourage bloom.
- Feeding: Feed monthly with diluted TillyBoost Fertilizer. Feeding increases flower count.
- Mounting: Wire the base and hang it. Balls form on their own.
- Pups: Constant. Never divide a good ball.
Browse our other Fragrant Air Plants, or read the air plant care guide.
