Description
About Tillandsia harrisii
Tillandsia harrisii is a silver species from Guatemala. Thick trichomes coat every leaf, so the plant feels velvety in the hand and holds water for a long time.
The rosette is soft and open, with leaves that arch outward. In high, bright light the whole plant blushes purple. Under normal lighting it stays silver-grey.
The bloom spike is a showpiece on its own: a tall green or pink bracted spike with violet flowers, and it lasts for weeks.
We grade harrisii from 2-inch minis to 8-inch XXL plants and specimens. Sale grades of small and medium plants with minor leaf marks are available at a discount.
Harrisii is the designer’s air plant. The velvet texture and pale colour work with almost any material, and it tolerates the drier air of shops and offices better than green species.
Growing Tillandsia harrisii: Care Guide
The trichome coat is a water store, so harrisii needs less water than it looks. Give it strong light for the purple, water it every ten days or so, and let it dry fully. It is one of the more forgiving silver plants. In a humid greenhouse, cut the soaks back and rely on misting, because the velvet coat takes longer to dry than it looks and the base can stay damp underneath it.
- Light: Bright light with direct sun. Sun brings the purple.
- Water: Soak 20 minutes every 10 to 14 days.
- Drying: Invert and shake. The soft leaves hold water at the base.
- Airflow: Good airflow after each soak.
- Temperature: 45°F to 95°F. No frost.
- Feeding: Feed monthly with diluted TillyBoost Fertilizer at quarter strength.
- Mounting: Wire or glue to wood, or set in a bowl from our Air Plant Displays.
- Pups: One to three pups after bloom.
Browse more Air Plants, or read our air plant care guide.
