Tillandsia ionantha

Each rosette of Tillandsia ionantha flowers only once in its life. After flowering, the mother plant stops producing new leaves and slowly declines over several months to years. Before it fades it produces offsets (pups) at the base, so by growing the pups you can keep the same plant going for many years.

How soon a plant flowers depends on how well established it is. A plant that has not built up enough reserves may go years without blooming.

As flowering approaches, the leaves around the center of the rosette blush bright red, and a tubular violet flower emerges from the middle. Each rosette flowers once a year at most, and the bloom lasts from a few days to about two weeks.

The red coloring is a sign that the plant is ready to flower, not a symptom of disease or sunburn. The leaves gradually return to green after the flower fades.

Pups appear at the base of the mother plant after flowering. If you want to separate them, wait until each pup is one third to one half the size of the mother. Pups removed too early hold little water and dry out easily.

If you leave the pups attached, the plant forms a clump around the mother. Clumps are easier to keep evenly moist and several rosettes can color up and flower at the same time.

Tillandsia ionantha is damaged by frost, so in most of Japan it is brought indoors for winter. Aim for a bright windowsill that stays above 5°C, and ideally above 10°C.

Growth slows in winter, so water less often. Mist or soak briefly in the morning on a mild day so the plant is dry by nightfall, and keep it out of the direct blast of heaters, which dries it out too much.