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Species library › Tillandsia › Tillandsia excelsa
Other Little published: much of this is inferred from related species

Tillandsia excelsa

An epiphytic bromeliad widespread in the mountains of northern Central America, Costa Rica, Panama and the Greater Antilles. Most records come from humid montane forest around 1000–2000 m, so it is an intermediate-temperature plant that likes bright filtered light, cool nights and frequent wetting with fast drying. Little species-specific cultivation information has been published.

Tillandsia excelsa
Photo: CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
At home, aim for
Day IntermediateTargets in Plantistry
Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry
Humidity Ordinary room humidityBand in Plantistry
Light Bright, filtered lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry
No rest periodGrows on trees (epiphyte)

Where it grows wild

An epiphyte on trees in humid forest. Collection localities include the Talamanca foothills (La Amistad), the Cerros de Caraigres and upper Reventazón catchment in Costa Rica, Boquete in Panama, Lagos de Montebello in Chiapas and the humid forest of Huehuetenango in Guatemala, sometimes on trees by streams and roadsides.

Recorded from near sea level to about 3150 m, but the median of about 200 dated records is roughly 1400 m: mainly a lower montane plant.

Mexico SoutheastBelizeGuatemalaHondurasCosta RicaPanamáCubaJamaicaDominican Republic

🔒 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. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, used under its CC BY 2.5 licence, unmodified.