Tillandsia schreiteri
Epiphytic dry Tillandsia from South America. It requires no soil, thrives well in bright locations, and absorbs moisture through its leaves.
Tillandsia schreiteri is a rare species from the highlands of Argentina and Bolivia. It was described by Lyman B. Smith in 1963.
The species name honors Carlos Schreiter, a botanist and collector of German descent who worked in South America in the early 20th century.
Characteristics:
Tillandsia schreiteri forms small to medium-sized rosettes with narrow, densely silver-haired leaves. The plant form is compact and slightly upright. The unbranched inflorescence bears robust pink to reddish bracts, from which short, violet tubular flowers emerge. At first glance, the species resembles some forms of Tillandsia ixioides but shows a softer, finer habit.
Care Instructions:
Light: Very bright to sunny, preferably with direct sunlight in good ventilation.
Water: Spray 2-3 times a week or briefly soak. Afterward, allow to dry completely.
Humidity: Medium to high (from 50%), requiring a airy location.
Fertilizer: In spring and summer, 1-2 times per month with our special Tillandsia or orchid fertilizer in diluted form.
Temperature: 16-28 °C, briefly down to about 5 °C without frost.
Note: Tillandsia schreiteri is well suited for smaller mounts, cork bark, or airy grid constructions. Its elegant growth form and striking flower colors make it a rewarding addition to specialized collections.
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.
