Description
About Tillandsia flabellata red giant
Tillandsia flabellata red giant is the selection worth paying attention to. It grows substantially larger than the ordinary green form, and the foliage carries a deep red flush rather than staying plain.
That colour intensifies as the plant approaches flowering. By the time the branching spikes emerge, foliage and bracts are working together, and the whole plant reads red rather than just the flower.
Structurally it is the same tank plant as the green form. Upright leaf bases pack tightly to form a deep central well, and the plant holds standing water there permanently.
Size is the other difference. Red giant makes a genuine specimen where the green form stays modest, and it is the parent behind our Fire Sticks hybrid.
Growing Tillandsia flabellata red giant: Care Guide
Colour here is light-driven, but the leaves still burn. Therefore find the brightest spot that has no direct afternoon sun.
- Light: Bright indirect light, as strong as you can give without direct sun. Shade costs you the red entirely.
- Water: Keep the central well topped up at all times.
- Flushing: Tip out and refill weekly with fresh water.
- Do not invert: Never turn it upside down to drain it.
- Airflow: Moderate airflow around the foliage.
- Temperature: Comfortable from 60°F to 95°F. No frost.
- Feeding: Feed monthly into the cup with diluted TillyBoost Fertilizer at quarter strength. Feeding deepens the red noticeably.
- Mounting: No soil. Mount level and upright, and allow for the larger size at maturity.
- Pups: Offsets follow bloom and inherit the red colouring. Separate at one third size.
Browse our Bromeliads for more tank types, see our Air Plant Care page, or our Rare Air Plants for the green form.
