Tillandsia Spotlight: Gardneri Air Plant

The Tillandsia gardneri is native to Trinidad, Tobago, Colombia, Brazil, and Venezuela where it grows as an epiphyte in trees in dry tropical environments. 

The T. gardneri is a soft species with almost feather-like leaves. Its leaves are a silvery sage color and they grow in an almost fountain type shape. 

These plants bloom a soft inflorescence from their middle and bloom a pink bloom similar to that of the T. houston. 

By Forest and Kim Starr - Tillandsia gardneri 

The T. gardneri can grow quite symmetrically if displayed properly. It does prefer cooler humid temperatures and bright light. It can withstand more light and less water due to its fuzzy to the touch, coat of trichomes. 

This is one of the rarer varieties to find as it has a high ornamental value, yet slow growth, which led to illegal over-collection of plants from the wild. While currently not on the list of endangered Tillandsias, we must be careful to ensure that these plants are being grown sustainably and not harvested illegally. See our post about Endangered Air Plants and learn about what you can do to help.