Description
About Tillandsia tectorum Ecuador
Tillandsia tectorum Ecuador is the fuzziest form of Tillandsia tectorum that we grow. The trichomes stand out so far that the leaves feel like feathers. The whole plant reads as white from across a room.
Compared with the Peru form, the Ecuador form stays compact. A mature single is 6 to 8 inches wide, and it keeps a tidy globe shape. The bloom spike is soft pink.
Those trichomes are the reason it sells. Nothing else on a bench looks like it. Florists and gift shops use it as the focal plant in displays.
We grade it in seven sizes, from 1.5-inch mini pups to 8-inch XXL rosettes and larges with offsets attached.
It also lasts. Because the plant grows slowly and needs so little water, it holds its looks in a shop for months. Few air plants have a longer shelf life, and few sell themselves as easily.
Growing Tillandsia tectorum Ecuador: Care Guide
Tectorum comes from dry, high Andean slopes. So it needs far less water than most air plants, and it rots easily if it stays wet.
- Light: Very bright light. It takes more sun than almost any other Tillandsia.
- Water: Mist lightly every 1 to 2 weeks. A brief dunk is fine in hot weather. Never soak for long.
- Drying: Invert and shake, then dry fast in moving air.
- Airflow: Constant airflow is the single most important factor.
- Temperature: 40°F to 95°F. It handles cool nights well.
- Feeding: Feed lightly every 4 to 6 weeks with diluted TillyBoost Fertilizer. It is a slow grower.
- Mounting: Glue to driftwood or set in an open holder. Never enclose it in a terrarium.
- Pups: Slow, but it does pup. Larges with offsets ship as ready-made clusters.
Read our air plant care guide before stocking, and browse the rest of our Rare Air Plants.
