Tillandsia filifolia

A small, grassy-looking air plant with dense tufts of very fine, thread-like leaves, native from Mexico to Costa Rica. It grows on trees in humid to seasonally dry forest and shaded coffee plantations from the lowlands to about 1250 m. Its fine, green leaves mean it wants more water and humidity than the silvery xeric Tillandsia.

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 branches and twigs in lowland and premontane forest, forest edges and shade-tree coffee plantations, for example around Xico and Coatepec in Veracruz. Habitat detail for the species is thin in the sources consulted.

GBIF records span about 50–1250 m, most below 250 m with a cluster near 1000–1250 m.

MexicoBelizeGuatemalaHondurasNicaraguaCosta Rica

🔒 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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More Tillandsia

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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 CC0 licence, unmodified.