Description
About Tillandsia purpurea x caerulea
Tillandsia purpurea x caerulea crosses two Peruvian desert species that share an uncommon trait. Both have strongly scented flowers, so this hybrid is worth stocking for fragrance as much as for form.
Purpurea is the larger parent, contributing substance, a heavier silver coat and its distinctive violet-tinged flower. Caerulea is the smaller one, contributing a neater habit and pale blue-violet blooms.
The plant that results grows on a short stem with leaves spiralling outward, silvered throughout. It sits between its parents in size and holds a tidy shape.
We offer three sizes from 5 inches upward. Both parents come from the Peruvian coastal desert, so this cross is unusually tolerant of neglect.
Growing Tillandsia purpurea x caerulea: Care Guide
Coastal desert parentage on both sides. Therefore this plant wants sun, wind and very little water.
- Light: Very high light, including direct sun. Strong light drives the flowering that carries the scent.
- Water: Soak 20 minutes every 12 to 14 days, or mist more often instead.
- Drying: Invert and shake. Water gathers where the leaf bases wrap the stem.
- Airflow: Strong constant airflow, matching the windy coast it comes from.
- Temperature: Comfortable from 45°F to 95°F. Cool nights are no problem.
- Feeding: Feed monthly through spring and summer with diluted TillyBoost Fertilizer. More feeding means more flowers and more scent.
- Mounting: No soil. Mount upright on wood so the stem can extend.
- Pups: Offsets follow bloom and form along the stem. Separate at one third size, or leave them to cluster.
Browse our Fragrant Air Plants for more scented species, see our Air Plant Care page, or our Rare Air Plants for other Peruvian plants.
