Description
About Tillandsia pedicellata
Tillandsia pedicellata is a true miniature, standing about an inch tall. It belongs to subgenus Diaphoranthema, the dwarf group that contains the smallest plants in the genus.
This is the purple-flowered form, and that matters. Most Diaphoranthema species flower in dull yellows and greens, so a clear purple flower on a plant this size is genuinely unusual.
Leaves are short, thick and grey, packed along a creeping stem. The plant spreads sideways rather than upward, knitting into low mats over time.
It comes from the cold, dry high country of southern South America. As a result it is one of the hardiest plants we stock, and it shrugs off temperatures that would damage a tropical species.
Growing Tillandsia pedicellata: Care Guide
Tiny plants lose water fast. Therefore pedicellata wants more frequent, shorter waterings than its dry habitat implies.
- Light: Bright light, including direct morning sun. Good light keeps the mat dense.
- Water: Soak 10 minutes every 7 days, or mist several times a week. Never leave it in a long soak.
- Drying: Shake mats out thoroughly. Water held between packed plants is the one real danger.
- Airflow: Steady airflow, which matters more as the mat thickens.
- Temperature: Exceptionally cold hardy, from 35°F to 90°F. Useful for unheated retail spaces.
- Feeding: Feed monthly with heavily diluted TillyBoost Fertilizer. Small plants need very little.
- Mounting: No soil. Glue it flat to cork or stone and let it creep outward.
- Pups: It offsets constantly. Never separate them; the mat is the product.
Our Air Plant Care page covers basics, and more miniatures sit in our Rare Air Plants.
