Sign in Start free
Species library › Tillandsia › Tillandsia socialis
Other Little published: much of this is inferred from related species

Tillandsia socialis

A Mexican tillandsia from seasonally dry tropical forest in central Chiapas and the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in Oaxaca, around the Grijalva valley and the Sumidero Canyon. It belongs to the Tillandsia utriculata group and grows where trees drop their leaves in a long winter dry season, so it wants heat, strong light and a clear wet–dry rhythm. Little has been published about it beyond specimen records.

At home, aim for
Day Warm-growingTargets 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

Specimen labels place it in tropical deciduous forest with Bursera and Beaucarnea on limestone hills such as Cerro Palmasola and Cerro Verde near Nizanda (Oaxaca) and Cerro de Copoya near Tuxtla Gutiérrez (Chiapas). The growth form is assumed to be epiphytic, as in most of the group, and could not be confirmed.

GBIF specimens range from about 130 m near Nizanda to about 1,220 m at the type locality in Chiapas, mostly 600–900 m.

Mexico SoutheastMexico Southwest

🔒 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

Grow Tillandsia socialis? Add it to a free garden and its full profile opens. Pro opens all 38,374 profiles in the library, plants and fungi.

Start free Sign in

More Tillandsia

Tillandsia paucifolia Tillandsia recurvata Tillandsia fasciculata Tillandsia ionantha Tillandsia juncea Tillandsia polystachia Tillandsia tenuifolia Tillandsia variabilis Tillandsia baileyi Tillandsia bartramii Tillandsia bulbosa Tillandsia capillaris All 750 →

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