Description
Tillandsia stricta ‘Cousin It’ takes its name from the shaggy Addams Family character, and one look at the plant explains why. It’s a real departure from the stiff, upright rosettes most stricta forms are known for.
About stricta Cousin It
Instead of an open rosette, ‘Cousin It’ grows into a dense, spherical mass. Its long, thin leaves curl downward and inward as the plant matures, eventually hiding the base entirely under a shaggy ball of foliage. Mature specimens commonly reach 6 to 9 inches across, making it a fairly large form for a stricta cultivar.
The bloom is the payoff for that unusual shape. ‘Cousin It’ produces a large, bright pink bract studded with small tubular purple or blue flowers, often bigger and more robust than a standard stricta’s bloom. The leaves themselves are also softer to the touch than the stiffer-leafed stricta forms already in our catalog. Its unusual silhouette also makes it an easy plant to spot on a shelf, which can help it stand out to customers browsing a crowded air plant section.
Growing stricta Cousin It: Care Guide
Water this cultivar the way you would our standard stricta green listing: soak for 5 to 10 days, then invert fully so water doesn’t pool inside the dense foliage ball. Because the leaves curl so tightly, check that the center dries out fully; a shaggy form like this can trap moisture longer than an open rosette does.
Feed monthly with diluted TillyBoost Fertilizer to support healthy growth and bloom color. Its unusual texture makes it a great conversation piece mounted alone; see our Air Plant Displays for options. For general care guidance, visit our Air Plant Care page. Read more about the species at Tillandsia stricta on Wikipedia.
