Tillandsia harrisii
epiphytic dry Tillandsia from South America. It does not require soil, thrives well in bright locations, and absorbs moisture through its leaves.
Tillandsia harrisii originates from the dry regions of Guatemala and was described by Werner Rauh in 1987.
It was named in honor of Bill Harris, an American botanist and good friend of our company founder Martin Dötterer, who was committed to the protection of tropical plants and lost his life during an expedition in Guatemala.
Characteristics:
Tillandsia harrisii forms dense, rosette-shaped plants with broad, soft-looking leaves that appear very velvety due to dense, silvery-white trichomes. The compact inflorescence bears bright red bracts and violet tubular flowers. This species is very popular due to its striking contrast between silvery foliage and colorful blooms.
Care instructions:
Light: Very bright to sunny – direct sunlight is well tolerated.
Water: Spray 2–3 times per week or occasionally soak. Allow to dry completely afterwards.
Humidity: Medium to high (50–70%) – spray more often in dry air.
Fertilizer: In spring and summer, fertilize 1–2 times per month with our special Tillandsia or orchid fertilizer in diluted form.
Temperature: 18–30 °C, robust – can withstand short periods down to about 10 °C frost-free.
Note: A low-maintenance species that is well-suited for beginners. With its distinctive coloration and velvety texture, it is a decorative eye-catcher in airy arrangements.
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.
