Tillandsia xerographica

Tillandsia xerographica in nature

Tillandsia xerographica is native to southern Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador. It grows on trees in seasonally dry tropical habitats and is often found high on exposed branches.

In its dry-forest habitat, it receives strong light and can spend long periods dry between rain or dew. Its exposed position also allows the plant to dry thoroughly after it gets wet.

Keeping Tillandsia xerographica healthy

• Light: Give very bright light. Gentle morning or late-day direct sun is useful, but introduce it gradually and avoid sudden exposure to intense midday sun through glass.
• Airflow: Keep the broad rosette in an open position where air can reach the centre and underside.
• Water: Let the plant dry fully between thorough waterings. Use the leaves as your guide: if they curl noticeably tighter than their normal shape and feel less flexible, it is time for a thorough soak or rinse.
• Drying: Shake out the rosette after watering and turn it upside down or sideways until water has drained from the broad leaf bases. Let it dry completely before returning it to a bowl or stand.
• Humidity: Most indoor humidity levels are suitable. In very dry heated air it may need more frequent watering, but do not keep it constantly damp.
• Display: Grow without potting soil on an open stand or support. Avoid deep containers that hold the rosette in a pocket of still, damp air.
• Temperature: Warm conditions suit it. If temperatures approach 12 °C, keep the rosette dry until warmer conditions return because cold combined with trapped moisture increases the risk of rot.
• Feeding: Use an occasional very dilute orchid or bromeliad fertiliser during active growth.
• After flowering: After flowering, the large mother rosette slowly declines while pups develop around it. Keep the mother attached until it has dried completely.
• Offsets: Allow pups to develop with the parent or separate them only once they are well established.

Common issues and solutions for Tillandsia xerographica

• The centre turns black, wet or soft: Water has remained in the rosette for too long. Stop watering, improve ventilation and remove only loose rotten material with a disinfected tool, discarding anything removed. If rot reaches the centre of the plant, it may not recover.
• The leaves curl much tighter than usual and the tips become crisp: Some curling is normal, but tighter curls together with brittle tips mean the plant needs more water. Give it a thorough soak or rinse and shorten the gap between waterings if it is staying dry for too long.
• Flat bleached or brown patches appear on the upper leaves: The plant has scorched in strong direct sun or heat. Move it away from hot glass and increase direct sun gradually.
• Brown marks develop where leaves rest against a bowl or stand: The area where the leaf touches the bowl or stand is staying damp or poorly ventilated. Dry the plant fully before putting it back and change the display so air can reach the marked area.

If the problem is unclear or continues to worsen after the likely cause is corrected, send us clear photos of the whole plant and the affected area so we can help identify it.

Tillandsia xerographica is non-toxic to people and pets

• This plant is non-toxic to people, cats and dogs.
• Chewing a large amount can still cause an upset stomach.
• If a large amount is eaten and symptoms continue, contact a veterinarian or medical professional.

Where does the name Tillandsia xerographica come from?

Tillandsia honours the Finnish physician and botanist Elias Tillandz. The epithet xerographica combines Greek xeros, meaning dry, with graphia, meaning writing or drawing.

Carl Linnaeus established the genus Tillandsia in 1753 in Species Plantarum, page 286.

Otto Rohweder first described Tillandsia xerographica in 1953 in Senckenbergiana, volume 34, page 113.