Tillandsia cretacea

A northwest Mexican air plant recorded from the foothills of the Sierra Madre Occidental in Sonora, Chihuahua and Sinaloa, mostly at 400-1,100 m. Its name ('chalky') points to a dense coat of white trichomes, the mark of a drought-adapted, high-light Tillandsia. No climate could be measured, so the conditions below come from the region's seasonal, monsoon-watered dry forest.

At home, aim for

Day IntermediateTargets in Plantistry

Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry

Humidity Dry airBand in Plantistry

Light Bright, filtered lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry

Expects a seasonal restGrows on trees (epiphyte)

Where it grows wild

Epiphyte of the seasonally dry tropical deciduous forest and oak woodland on the western slopes of the Sierra Madre Occidental. The exact host trees and exposure are not documented.

Recorded elevations 416-1,118 m, median about 600 m (7 records).

Mexico NortheastMexico Northwest

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates

✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it

✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light

✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it

✓ Substrate and airflow

✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

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Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app.