Tillandsia caerulea branches
Epiphytic dry Tillandsia from South America. It requires no soil, thrives well in bright locations, and absorbs moisture through its leaves.
Tillandsia cerulea is an elegant, epiphytic species from the drier highlands of Peru and Ecuador. It was described in 1888 by the French botanist Édouard André.
The species name "cerulea" refers to the sky-blue to lavender-colored flowers that make this Tillandsia particularly attractive.
Characteristics:
This species forms loose rosettes with thin, heavily silvery-flecked leaves that are elegantly curved and finely structured. The shoots often reach lengths of 20–40 cm. The slender, usually simple inflorescence bears several small, delicate blue flowers with a typical tubular shape. Tillandsia cerulea grows slowly but is long-lived and develops loose, hanging clusters over time.
Care Instructions:
Light: Very bright to full sun, well acclimated to direct sunlight.
Water: Lightly mist 1–2 times per week, and if in very dry phases, briefly submerge as needed. Always allow to dry well.
Humidity: Medium (above 40%), airy surroundings are essential.
Fertilizer: In spring and summer, 1–2 times per month with our special Tillandsia or orchid fertilizer in diluted form.
Temperature: 16–30 °C, relatively tolerant of cooler nights.
Note: Tillandsia cerulea is excellent for bright, airy locations with good circulation. Its delicate appearance makes it ideal for finer arrangements, wire frames, or floating holders. Particularly attractive due to its silvery sheen and delicate 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.
