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Species library › Tillandsia › Tillandsia kolbii
Other Partly documented

Tillandsia kolbii

A small atmospheric Tillandsia from the highlands of Oaxaca, Chiapas, Guatemala and Honduras, long sold as T. ionantha var. scaposa or 'T. scaposa'. It grows on branch tips of trees, including pines and legumes, in open forest at about 1,200–2,500 m. Grow it like a bright, cool-to-intermediate air plant with a real drier winter.

Tillandsia kolbii
Photo: James Ho, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
At home, aim for
Day Cool-growingTargets in Plantistry
Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry
Humidity Ordinary room humidityBand in Plantistry
Light Bright, filtered lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry
Expects a seasonal restGrows on trees (epiphyte)

Where it grows wild

An epiphyte on branches and branch tips of trees in open forest, including pines and leguminous trees. One collection was terrestrial. Flowers are purple, and the leaves below the inflorescence turn reddish at flowering.

The few GBIF records with elevations run from about 1,170 to 2,480 m, median about 1,875 m (8 records).

MexicoGuatemalaHonduras

🔒 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-SA 2.0 licence, unmodified.