Tillandsia sticta Pulk
A cluster of an epiphytic tropical Tillandsia from South America. It requires no soil, thrives well in semi-shaded locations, and absorbs moisture through its leaves.
Tillandsia stricta is a widely distributed and popular species from Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. It was first described by Carl Ludwig Willdenow in 1788 and is considered one of the classic, robust representatives of the genus.
The name "stricta" is derived from the Latin strictus ("upright, firm") and refers to the upright arrangement of the leaves.
Characteristics:
Tillandsia stricta forms compact, funnel-shaped rosettes with relatively soft, green to silvery-green leaves. During the flowering period, it develops a short inflorescence with bright pink bracts, from which strong violet tubular flowers appear sequentially. The species usually blooms only once but subsequently produces several offsets.
Care Instructions:
Light: Very bright to semi-shaded; it can also tolerate a few hours of direct sunlight.
Water: Spray or soak 2–3 times per week, then allow to dry completely.
Humidity: Medium to high (from 50%); good air circulation is recommended.
Fertilizer: In spring and summer, 1–2 times per month with our special Tillandsia or orchid fertilizer in diluted form.
Temperature: 16–30 °C; keep permanently frost-free.
Note: Tillandsia stricta is easy to care for, grows quickly, and is ideal for beginners. It is versatile in use – on wood, in containers, or as part of arrangements – and impresses with its regular offset production and vibrant flowers.
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.
