Tillandsia caerulea var. major
Epiphytic dry Tillandsia from South America. It does not require 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, which make this Tillandsia particularly attractive. Tillandsia caerulea var. major is a larger variety of the delicate species Tillandsia caerulea, native to the dry highlands of Peru and Ecuador.
The name "caerulea" means "blue" and refers to the delicate, light blue flowers, while the addition "var. major" indicates the larger appearance of this form.
Characteristics:
This variety grows somewhat sturdier than the typical Tillandsia caerulea. It forms long, heavily silver-flecked, soft leaves in loose rosettes or shoots. The plant can grow hanging or upright and can reach lengths of over 40 cm with its leaf structures. The flowers are delicate blue to lavender blue and appear on slender, inconspicuous flower spikes. After flowering, it produces several offsets.
Care instructions:
Light: Very bright to full sun, also suitable for direct sunlight.
Water: Spray 1–2 times per week or briefly submerge as needed. Important: always allow to dry completely.
Humidity: Medium (from 40%), good air circulation necessary.
Fertilizer: In spring and summer, 1–2 times per month with our special Tillandsia or orchid fertilizer in diluted form.
Temperature: 16–30 °C, can tolerate cool nights, but must be kept frost-free.
Note: Tillandsia caerulea var. major is ideal for airy hanging systems, metal holders, or fine cork pieces. It combines a graceful appearance with somewhat sturdier growth and is excellent for natural or floating designs.
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.
