Description
About Tillandsia duratii x ixioides
Tillandsia duratii x ixioides crosses two South American dry-country species, and it inherits the best trick of each. From duratii it takes the curling leaf tips and the scent. From ixioides it takes a tighter habit and yellow tones in the flower.
Duratii is the famous one. It grows in the arid Gran Chaco of Bolivia, Paraguay and northern Argentina, and adult plants have no functioning roots at all. The leaf tips curl into tendrils that hook onto branches, so the plant literally hangs itself in place.
This hybrid does the same thing at a more manageable scale. Leaves curl backward and grab whatever they touch, which makes mounting almost self-solving.
Plants ship at 10 inches and up. Both parents carry fragrant flowers, so this is one you can sell on scent as well as form.
Growing Tillandsia duratii x ixioides: Care Guide
Both parents come from hot, dry, bright habitat. Therefore treat this as firmly xeric.
- Light: High light. Strong light tightens the curl and drives heavier, better-scented flowering.
- Water: Soak 20 minutes every 10 to 14 days. It handles long dry spells without complaint.
- Drying: Invert and shake. Curled leaves overlap and hold water where they cross.
- Airflow: Good airflow after each soak.
- Temperature: Comfortable from 45°F to 95°F. No frost.
- Feeding: Feed monthly through the growing season with diluted TillyBoost Fertilizer. Flowering rewards consistent feeding.
- Mounting: No soil. Hang it from wire or string and let the curling tips find their own grip, exactly as duratii does in the wild.
- Pups: Offsets follow bloom, though sparingly. Separate at one third size.
Our Air Plant Care page has the basics. For more scented plants see our Fragrant Air Plants, or our Rare Air Plants.
