Catopsis morreana
Epiphytic tropical Tillandsia from South America. Often cultivated in substrate.
Catopsis morreana is a rarer species from the genus Catopsis, which is primarily native to higher, humid regions of Central and South America. The genus Catopsis differs from many other bromeliads through its particularly light-loving and often epiphytic habitats.
The species name morreana likely honors a collector or botanist named Morre.
Features:
The plant forms an upright, funnel-shaped rosette with narrow, soft-leathery leaves in light green to yellowish-green coloration. The leaves are often slightly frosted and can develop delicate red hues under intense lighting. During the flowering period, a slender, branched inflorescence with small, yellowish-white flowers is produced. Its subtle appearance and elegant growth form make it a rarity among bromeliad enthusiasts.
Care Instructions:
Light: Very bright to partially shaded, also enjoys morning or evening sun.
Water: Regularly fill the rosette with low-calcium water; substrate should be slightly moist but never soggy.
Humidity: High (at least 60%), frequent misting supports growth.
Fertilizer: In spring and summer, fertilize 1-2 times per month with our special bromeliad or orchid fertilizer in diluted form directly into the rosette.
Temperature: 18-28 °C, no temperatures below 15 °C.
Note: Catopsis morreana is well-suited for humid, bright locations such as terrariums or conservatories. After flowering, it produces offsets that can be removed for further cultivation.
Our greenhouses are equipped with modern energy screens and double glazing to efficiently save on heating costs. Additionally, we collect rainwater over the entire roof area of 9,000 square meters and use only this water to irrigate all our crops. We collect the rainwater in underground tanks with a total volume of 600,000 liters.
Since 2007, we have been heating our entire operation with a fully automated 850 kW wood chip heating system and a 100,000-liter buffer storage tank. Environmentally friendly and CO2-neutral. Only to support during very cold winter days and nights is a conventional oil heating system available.
Since 2014, the heating has been supported by a solar thermal system with an annual yield of about 20 megawatt-hours.
In 2020, we installed a photovoltaic system with 30 kW peak and have been producing more green electricity per year than our entire operation requires.
Since 2021, we use exclusively pots for our self-produced plants that are not only 100% recyclable but are also entirely made from recycled pots. To this end, we collect all used pots that arise in our operation and have them picked up in big bags by our pot supplier Göttinger. There, the pots are cleaned and processed in a water-free recycling facility into new pots that come back to us.
