Tillandsia Duratii

Family: Bromeliaceae 

Genus: Tillandsia 

Origin: Native to Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil.

Form/Color: My favorite of the tillandsia, a true giant with a ton of personality and one of the most fragrant air plants, or plants in general I have yet to witness. The granddaddy of fragrant Tillandsias. They like to grow in arid environments where they fill the trees growing into ancient vine-like specimens with curled wrapping arms. They can reach over ten feet and branch out into many sections to dominate the trees with their curly leaves, living for potentially decades to over 100 years.

The inflorescence is simple and extends up to several feet with large beautifully scented purple flowers. The fragrance is very strong and a single specimen can perfume an entire garden.

Water Requirements: Daily misting outdoors is optimal, they can handle dryer conditions but may burn in direct sun in hotter western zones like mine. If growing indoors I keep them on the dryer side with weekly misting or water baths. Do not water when the sun is hot on them or leave them sitting in water for too long. These are from fairly dry high altitude environments. 

Mounting: Great for hanging baskets , driftwood, tree and rock mounting. They will not root like other air plants and will need to be fixed into place. 

Growing Tips:  Best suited for medium to strong natural light and shaded areas or full sun with high air flow.