Small Ball Moss

Small Ball Moss Care

Tillandsia Recurvata

What is the plant

Tillandsia recurvata is native to the southern US, where it stretches from Florida all the way to Arizona, and as far south as Argentina and Chile. It grows epiphytically on trees, bushes, and cacti or as a pterophyte on rocky cliffs at altitudes ranging from 0 to just over 3000 meters. It is a small sized caulescent with fine stem and sometimes slightly branched, fast growing, which can quickly form dense tufts and has numerous, supple, distichous leaves. The sheaths are thin, oval, glabrous at the base (sometimes with a ciliated margin), nested, surrounding the stem. The limbs are cylindrical, more or less long and curved depending on the origin of the plant. This air plant bloom from the simple inflorescence, with a small spike arranged at the end of a thin and scaly peduncle, with very few flowers (sometimes only one). The bracts of the flowering stem are green, scaly, linear. The floral bracts are similar to the bracts of the flowering stem but smaller and slightly ribbed. The flowers are sessile, tiny (3 mm wide), non-tubular, mauve or purple, sometimes pinkish. The stamens and pistil are included. Ball moss is variable and widely distributed, it can easily be confused with other Tillandsia species, such as Tillandsia capillaris, Tillandsia crocata, and Tillandsia mallemontii, which are found in similar habitats but which have different flower characteristics.

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Humidity

Normal

Lighting

Full Sun

Temperature

min 10°C

Hardiness zone

8a - 11

Difficulty

Medium

How to Care for the Plant

Water
Twice or 3 times a week in summer, once or 2 times a week in winter according to the luminosity and the ambient humidity. Obviously when it rains and if you grow it outside, it counts as a watering. Some growers prefer the bath to the spray to water this species, especially if the plant is already dense. Watch for leaf tips and increase the frequency of watering if they appear dry.
Fertilizer
This air plant does not require fertilizing. However, it can be fertilized with the moderate doses to speed up the growth. 1 to 2 times a month in the summer and 1 time a month in the winter.
Sunlight
Tillandsia recurvata requires good light, avoiding full sun if possible. When moving the plants outdoors, gradually accustom them to increased light levels, that because when shifted to bright light too quickly, their leaves can sunburn.

Disease diagnosis

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Soil
Tillandsia recurvata can grow suspended or to be mounted on a solid substrate that does not retain water. Place the plant very close to a window indoors in winter and preferably out in mid-shade in the summer. You can glue the plant directly to the surface with a strong adhesive, or you can wire the plant to the base. Don't cover the base of the plant with moss or it may rot. It can be grown on almost any imaginable decorative mount, including shells, rocks, slate, driftwood, etc.
Temperature
The required temperature ranging from 10 to 32°C. Get it early enough in the fall if you grow it outside, so that it does not face night temperatures below 4 or 5 ° C, especially if it is wet. It is sensitive to freezing, particularly when moist. The plants can faced temperatures close to 0 ° C (sheltered and dry) for a few hours without damage.
Popularity
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