Tillandsia superba

A large Andean Tillandsia recorded from Ecuador to Peru and Bolivia, mostly in humid montane forest and high scrub at about 2100–3400 m. It is a cool-growing plant that needs cold nights and bright, moist air, and it does poorly in warm, stuffy conditions. Detailed habitat descriptions are scarce, so treat these targets as estimates.

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

No rest periodGrows on trees (epiphyte)

Where it grows wild

Herbarium labels place it in primary and very humid montane forest, montane forest relicts, dwarf elfin scrub (bosque pajonal enano) and near high-Andean bogs, while many observations come from the hills and ravines around Quito and Pululahua. It is recorded both on trees and in open scrub, and labels rarely say which.

Herbarium specimens range from about 2100 to 3370 m. Not measured.

EcuadorPeruBolivia

🔒 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.