Tillandsia ionantha var. mexico Pulk
Epiphytic dry Tillandsia from South America. It does not require soil, thrives well in bright locations, and absorbs moisture through its leaves.
Tillandsia ionantha var. mexico is a natural form of Tillandsia ionantha that occurs in the drier highlands of Mexico. It is considered one of the more primitive variants of this species and is characterized by a rather open rosette growth and high adaptability.
Characteristics:
Tillandsia ionantha var. mexico forms loose, slightly larger rosettes with silvery-green, slightly spreading leaves. During the flowering period, the inner leaves turn bright red to pink, from which violet tubular flowers emerge. Compared to other ionantha forms, it appears more rustic and often grows a bit faster. It reliably produces offsets after flowering.
Care instructions:
Light: Very bright to sunny – direct sunlight is well tolerated and promotes intense coloring.
Water: Spray 2–3 times a week or occasionally soak. Then let it dry completely.
Humidity: Medium to high (50–70%) – good ventilation is required.
Fertilizer: In spring and summer, 1–2 times per month with our special Tillandsia or orchid fertilizer in diluted form.
Temperature: 16–30 °C, extremely robust – can be kept frost-free for short periods down to about 5 °C.
Note: This variety is particularly well-suited for dry, airy locations and, due to its resilience and good offset production, is ideal for beginners and collections focused on local forms.
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.
