Tillandsia bulbosa
Tillandsia bulbosa is a characteristically shaped, epiphytic species native to Central America, Colombia, Venezuela, and southern Mexico. It was described by Olof Swartz in 1788.
The species name "bulbosa" refers to the bulbous base of the plant ("bulbus" = oniony).
Features:
This species is distinguished by its unusual shape: a swollen, glossy green base from which long, often spirally or sinuously growing leaves arise. The flower spikes emerge from the center of the plant and turn red to purple during the flowering period. The tubular flowers are violet. Tillandsia bulbosa is especially popular among collectors.
Care Instructions:
Light: Bright, but without direct, strong midday sun – rather semi-shaded to filtered.
Water: Spray vigorously 2–3 times a week or occasionally soak. No standing moisture in the base!
Humidity: High (60%+), good air circulation is very important to avoid rot.
Fertilizer: We recommend using our special Tillandsia or orchid fertilizer in diluted form 1–2 times a month in spring and summer.
Temperature: 18–30 °C, sensitive to cold – never expose to temperatures below 12 °C.
Note: Particularly decorative on wood, bark, or in glass globes and terrariums. Due to its shape, it is well suited for living art objects or combined arrangements. Sensitive to waterlogging – careful drying is crucial.
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.
