Description
About Tillandsia mollis
Tillandsia mollis is a small clumping species from Bolivia. It grows like recurvifolia or a stout usneoides, with soft grey leaves on short stems that branch into a mound.
The flowers are unusual. They are moss green rather than purple or white, and they are fragrant. Few air plants combine that colour with scent.
It is very rarely offered. We started with a few small clumps ten years ago, and only now have enough to sell in limited numbers.
Singles are about 2 inches tall. It is slow, so a single takes several years to become a large clump. We also offer established large clumps for buyers who want the finished form.
For a shop, mollis is a collector’s plant. It will not sell on colour, but it will sell to the customer who already owns everything else.
Growing Tillandsia mollis: Care Guide
It is fairly easy, just slow. Treat it as xeric and be patient. Small plants look like nothing much at first. Give them a year and they begin to branch, and by the third year the mound starts to show. The reward is a plant almost nobody else can offer.
- Light: Bright light with some direct sun.
- Water: Soak 20 minutes every 10 to 14 days.
- Drying: Invert and shake. Clumps hold water in the centre, so dry them well.
- Airflow: Good airflow after each soak.
- Temperature: 40°F to 95°F. Cool nights are fine.
- Feeding: Feed monthly with diluted TillyBoost Fertilizer. Feeding is the only way to speed it up.
- Mounting: Glue singles to a small piece of wood and leave them alone to clump.
- Pups: Slow but steady. Do not divide clumps; sell them whole.
Browse our other Fragrant Air Plants, or read the air plant care guide.
