Tillandsia duratii on the wire
Tillandsia duratii is an extraordinary, fragrant species from the dry regions of Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil. It was described by Visiani in 1830 and named in honor of Durand, a French botanist. Its climbing leaves and aromatic floral scent make it unique among the Tillandsias.
Characteristics:
This Tillandsia grows with a stem-forming habit and develops long, strongly curled leaves that can cling to surrounding structures—an adaptation to windy locations. The surface is silvery and densely covered with trichomes. The upright flower spike bears several violet tubular flowers with a sweet, intense fragrance. It grows very large and is long-lived, but usually blooms only after several years.
Care Instructions:
Light: Very bright to full sun—ideal for bright winter gardens or sunny windowsills.
Water: Spray thoroughly 2-3 times a week or occasionally soak. Afterwards, let it dry completely.
Humidity: Medium to high (50%+), needs good air circulation—very drought tolerant.
Fertilizer: Once a month with heavily diluted Tillandsia or bromeliad fertilizer.
Temperature: 18-30 °C, relatively robust—can tolerate short-term temperatures down to about 5 °C frost-free.
Note: Ideal for hanging culture or airy mountings, e.g., on branches or wire structures. The fragrant flowers and extraordinary growth form make it one of the most fascinating species for collectors.
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.
