Description
About Tillandsia funckiana recurvifolia
Tillandsia funckiana var. recurvifolia is the stiffest form of funckiana we grow. The needle leaves stand out from the stem at every angle, and the plant feels like a bottle brush in the hand.
Funckiana is a Venezuelan Tillandsia that grows along a stem rather than as a rosette. On this variety the leaves curve back and stay rigid, so the stems look bristly rather than soft.
The flowers are the reason people keep funckiana. They are bright scarlet, large for the size of the plant, and they open from the tip of each stem. A clump in bloom is a mass of red.
Minis are 1 inch, and larges are 5 inches or more. Stems branch with age, and older plants become loose, spiky clusters.
For a display it pairs well with softer plants. It gives texture and, in season, colour, and it costs little. We grade it in four sizes.
Growing Tillandsia funckiana recurvifolia: Care Guide
Funckiana grows on sunny cliffs in the Venezuelan Andes. So it wants strong light and quick drying. The stiff leaves shed water fast, which makes this one of the easier funckiana forms to keep. Water sparingly in winter, when the plant rests; a dry, cool, bright rest is what sets the buds for spring.
- Light: Bright light with direct sun. Sun triggers the scarlet bloom.
- Water: Soak 20 minutes every 10 to 14 days.
- Drying: Shake and hang. Water runs off the bristles.
- Airflow: Good airflow after each soak.
- Temperature: 40°F to 95°F. Cool nights encourage bloom.
- Feeding: Feed monthly with diluted TillyBoost Fertilizer at quarter strength.
- Mounting: Glue or wire the base to wood and let the stems arch outward.
- Pups: Along the stem. Leave them on for a bristly clump.
Browse more Rare Air Plants, or see our air plant care guide.
